The Team Phantom Handbook
by Xenopsyche
Summary: A Handbook designed to be distributed to anyone joining the ranks of 'Team Phantom', briefly detailing the role, purpose and members of the unique group, the technology used, and the enemies they may face. Based in the same altered timeline as my other DP stories.
1. Preface, Index, Introduction

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: ****Hello readers, thanks for taking the time to check out this story. This is designed to read like a small handbook to be given to new members of 'Team Phantom' to generally explain how stuff works. As such, the chapters will be quite short, generally less than 1000 words.**

**This handbook is part of the same altered timeline that my other DP stories are, but it is set after all of them, so there are some spoilers to be found, though I doubt they're anything particularly earth-shattering.**

**As usual, thanks for taking the time to read and I hope you enjoy it.**** /AN]**

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><p><strong>Preface:<strong>

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><p>Team Phantom is a collection of individuals who, directly or indirectly, support Danny FentonPhantom in his role as defender of Amity Park and, as situations arise, the Ghost Zone and other regions of the human world.

Over the years, Danny has made quite a number of enemies, but he has also made a number of friends, both human and ghost, who were willing to join him in his never-ending line of work. The members of Team Phantom all have one goal; support Danny however and whenever he needs it.

This fundamental goal is key to the continued safety of both the human and ghost realms.

The purpose of this Handbook is to detail the particulars you'll need to understand and be familiar with in order to be a functioning member of Team Phantom. It contains a brief explanation of ectoplasm, ghosts and commonly used technology, along with a collection of dossiers of the current members of Team Phantom, including their history, abilities and roles within the team and an equivalent list of the most persistent and/or dangerous foes we deal with.

This handbook aims to provide you with a basic understanding of the team dynamics. Any further questions should be directed to Danny where possible, or other senior members of the team if he is not available.

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><p><strong>Index:<strong>

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><p><strong>Introduction:<strong>

1: Preface, Index, Introduction

2: Treatise on the Nature of Ectoplasm

3: Halfa Biology

4: Weapons and Technology

**Allies and Team Members:**

5: Samantha Fenton-Manson and Tucker Foley

6: Jasmine Fenton

7: Clockwork

8: Jackson and Madeline Fenton

9: Frostbite

10: Danielle Fenton-Manson/ Dani Phantom

11: Princess Dorathea

12: Wulf

13: Valerie Grey/ The Red Huntress

14: Edward Lancer

15: Queen Pandora

16: Skulker

**Enemies:**

17: Spectral Psychology

18: Ecto-Fauna

19: The Box Ghost

20: Desiree

21: Spectra and Bertrand

22: Walker

23: Nicolai Technus

24: The 'Extreme Threat' Classification

25: Vortex

26: Nocturne

27: Undergrowth

28: Fright Knight

29: Pariah Dark

30:** [REDACTED] **This chapter will be made available in the event that certain specific circumstances are met.

31: Vladimir Masters/Plasmius

**Miscellaneous:**

32: Other Topics

- The Observant Council

- Neutral Ghosts

- The Ghost Sense

- Ghost Portals

- Spectral Reproduction

- Blood Blossoms

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><p><strong>Introduction:<strong>

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><p>For all intents and purposes, Team Phantom started with Danny, Sam and Tucker immediately after Danny began combating ghosts. It was only after a Temporal Incident (of which the details are known only by a select few) that Danny considered expanding his support network.<p>

And so Team Phantom was born.

This collection of allies has supported Danny's efforts both directly and indirectly. Admittedly, many, if not all, of his current allies have also hindered his efforts during prior interactions, sometimes quite violently, but that is in the past.

Danny Phantom is one of the most powerful beings in the Ghost Zone and his power and skills are still growing. As such, he is invariably the one who fights the majority of the ghosts and directs his allies. The role of Team Phantom members is to support him in that endeavour; either directly, by fighting ghosts when he has other responsibilities, or indirectly, by supporting him mentally, emotionally or by other means.

All members of Team Phantom are also sworn to uphold his secret, seeing as how the world doesn't know that Danny Phantom is actually Danny Fenton and he, wisely, doesn't want them to know.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you are, this story is now complete so feel to flick through the chapters at your leisure and if there is anything you think I'm missing, let me know and I'll see if I can't incorporate it somewhere.<strong>

**Thanks for taking the time to read, and your feedback is always appreciated. /AN]**


	2. Treatise On the Nature of Ectoplasm

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

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><p><strong>Introduction: Treatise on the Nature of Ectoplasm<strong>

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><p>Before the dossiers, it is important that you understand exactly what ectoplasm is and how it affects the world around it, so here is a summary by the Fenton's on the subject:<p>

[**Note:** This was written for general publication and as such, much more is actually known about some of the effects than has been provided, but releasing such information could possibly endanger Danny's identity or prove to be a substantial risk to Danny and other benevolent ghosts, such as the ability to disrupt a halfa or ghost's control over their ectoplasm with the application of the correct electro-magnetic field.]

**Treatise on the Nature of Ectoplasm and the Creation of Ecto-based Life Forms:**

**By Jackson Fenton (PhD) and Madeline Fenton (PhD)**

Ectoplasm has remarkable physical qualities, existing natively in a quantum dimension parallel to our own, where it is the primary form of matter. This region of Space-Time is colloquially referred to as the 'Ghost Zone' as it so far escapes proper scientific classification and will be referred to as such in the rest of this paper.

Ectoplasm appears to be highly stable inside its own dimension, but it decays rapidly when found outside of it. The exception to this is if it is contained in an electric field, which appears to 'lock' the quantum state of the sub-atomic particles that make it up, allowing it to remain stable outside of the Ghost Zone.

The unique structure and makeup of atomic ectoplasm grants the element, when exposed to the correct electro-magnetic stimulation, a variety of previously theoretical properties, all based around manipulation of the quantum nature of the universe. These properties include:

**Phase Shifting:** The process by which ectoplasm can generate a field around itself that will alter the quantum state of itself and potentially anything in its vicinity, allowing it to 'shift' out of phase, including the Visible Light region of the electro-magnetic spectrum. It also allows the ectoplasm to shift into phase with matter in this dimension as it naturally exists on a separate physical plane to traditional matter.

**Teleportation and Spatial Warping:** As mentioned previously, ectoplasm can alter the nature of the universe, including Space-Time. As such, ectoplasm atoms can often be found to spontaneously teleport to random locations, much like various sub-atomic particles are theorised to do in this dimension via quantum tunnelling. This, on occasion, sees ectoplasm briefly appear in our dimension, before either decaying or teleporting back to its native dimension. This effect on Space-Time can also be seen in ectoplasm's remarkable ability to, at times, ignore the effects of a gravitational field.

**Temporal Distortion: **This is the 'Time' part of Space-Time, in which ectoplasm has been observed to alter the flow of time, either slowing or increasing it depending on the nature of the EM field. Theoretically, given sufficient ectoplasm and fine control over the electro-magnetic field manipulating it, it could be possible to manipulate Space-Time at will, altering its position both physically and temporally, but this is beyond the scope of present technology.

**Power Generation:** This is perhaps the most exciting potential use of ectoplasm as there is no other material in the known universe that has anywhere near the same properties for energy generation. In traditional thermodynamic physics, energy cannot be created; it must be derived from matter; as seen in Nuclear Fission and Fusion. Ectoplasm shatters this concept, however, as persistent power generation with no fuel source has been observed in ectoplasmic entities and is easily replicable in laboratory conditions. However, the difficulty of harnessing this power lies in converting ectoplasmic energy into a usable power source as it has so far been unable to be utilised safely without passing on some level of ectoplasmic properties to the host material, which leads to a variety of complications. Further study will attempt answer the question of how such power generation is achieved and how that knowledge could be used to modify its energy output.

It's this energy generation that allows ectoplasm-based life to develop, commonly referred to as 'Ghosts'. A Ghost is effectively ectoplasm contained within a self-generated electro-magnetic field and can range from little more than self propelled balls of ectoplasm to fully sapient individuals with conscious control of the ectoplasm that makes up there form.

Ghosts are formed when a complex electro-magnetic distortion interacts with ectoplasm. As energy seem to be able to flow between the two parallel dimensions without hindrance, it is not surprising that the vast majority of ghosts are formed inside the Ghost Zone; there are exceptions to this, but they are incredibly rare. For reasons as of yet unknown, the only electro-magnetic disturbance that has been known to result in ghosts is ones derived from periods of intense neural activity that end with the death of the owner. It is thought that this is because the fear of death pushes neural activity to its maximum level and that, upon death, the residual neural energy is 'released' from the distorting effects of the natural electrical processes in carbon-based life forms, allowing it to interact and imprint freely on ectoplasm.

This would explain why ghosts have traditionally been associated with those who die under extreme emotional or cognitive duress for whatever reason. Attempts to generate 'artificial' ghosts, using electrical stimulation other than neural activity have failed on every attempt. We believe this is because a ghost needs some degree of neural imprint to sustain itself. It appears that the imprint copies itself into the structure of the ectoplasm and preliminary evidence suggests that, given sufficient time, ghosts may be capable of expanding their neural capacity, which would explain why some ghost show evidence of complex emotions and high levels of cognitive reasoning.

Along with the neural imprint, the magnetic nature of the disturbances from what we are calling a 'Core'. It seems that a Core is a highly concentrated level of ectoplasm contained within a secondary electro-magnetic field that is used almost exclusively for power generation by ghosts. In addition, most Cores output their power as ectoplasmic energy, but in some cases, ghosts have been observed with the ability to manifest thermal effects as well as traditional electricity. It is possible that this is a product of their Cores and only appears in very powerful ghosts, but study has been limited on such powerful subjects.

The final point to be made about ghosts is that those of higher levels of consciousness have full control over the ectoplasm that makes up their forms, allowing them to channel its quantum effects as detailed above into whatever effect they desire, resulting in the oft-referred-to 'Ghost Powers'. This conscious control means that it is possible for incredibly powerful ghosts to exist, ones with the capacity to alter the very fabric of the universe around them, simply by their presence. The closest we have ever come to observing such a phenomenon was the Pariah Dark incident many years ago, but more powerful ghosts are theorised to exist.

We can only hope that they are not as malevolent.


	3. Halfa Biology

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Just a quick note, a lot of the theories presented in this handbook are somewhat non-canonical, but the canon itself is often vague on a lot of things, so these are just my theories.**** /AN]**

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><p><strong>Introduction: Halfa Biology<strong>

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><p>Due to the rarity of halfas, rather little is known of their biology, so we have compiled what information is known here:<p>

Halfas are unique in that they are effectively a human with spectral properties. There are no known natural halfas, with only three known to have ever existed, two of which (Danny and Vladimir Masters/Plasmius) were the result of accidents involving artificial Ghost Portals, while the third (Danielle) was the product of Vlad's attempt to clone Danny.

Halfas are created when an individual is exposed to a substantial level of ectoplasm in a high energy environment, like being in the event horizon of an opening artificial Ghost Portal. It appears that a weak ectoplasmic core is formed and stabilised within the individual. This core is small by ghost standards and is too weak to account for a halfa's remarkable control over their ectoplasmic capabilities and the amount of energy they are capable of generating; with all three known halfas shown to be remarkably powerful in spectral terms. It was the cause of a great deal of confusion until it was discovered that alongside the formation of a core, the original exposure also concentrates ectoplasm in the nucleus of every cell in the halfa's body, with trace amounts found in the intercellular medium. This concentration creates literally billions of secondary 'micro-cores', all capable of generating low levels of power which, when combined together and added to the primary core's output, results in the spectacular power levels that halfa's posses.

As a result, halfa's are not, as erroneously shorthanded, individuals who are 'half dead' or who have ghost genetics intertwined with their own. Ghost's do not posses any sort of genetic structure to be combined with a human and the creation of an ectoplasmic core does not require death, only that there is a neural pattern to control it, which is provided by the still living individual's brain.

Of course, the accidents that resulted in the first two known halfas should have killed both Danny and Vlad, but it appears that the ectoplasm reacted to the electricity and effectively acted as a lightning rod, funnelling it into the process of Core creation. In both Danny and Vlad's cases, this appears to have been sufficient to protect their hearts from the current, resulting in a situation of extreme pain, but not resulting in death. This same property gives them near immunity to death via electrocution, but it does nothing to reduce the pain of the experience.

Halfa's maintain entirely normal vital signs (with the exception of body temperature in those individuals with ice cores, where a slight dip below the normal range is often seen) and their biological functions are not hindered in any way by the ectoplasmic micro-cores in their cells. In fact, these cores are thought to be responsible for the remarkable healing rate observed in halfa's, as the core may be capable of producing energy in a form that could be utilised by the cell, in order to force Mitotic growth and rapidly heal any wounds. It is unknown if this has any long-term consequences on the genetic integrity of the cells or if the unique nature of ectoplasmic energy can somehow circumvent normal biological limitations and safeguards for cell replication. In short, halfa's should either be remarkably long lived, or they may be far more prone to cancerous mutations, depending on precisely how their healing process is regulated, if at all.

Another curious point is that in all cases, halfas inevitably develop an elemental core, despite how weak their primary core is when compared to other ghosts with known elemental cores. Again, it is possible that the micro-cores are responsible.

As previously mentioned, ectoplasm is concentrated in the nucleus of the cells in a halfa's body, and each cell provides its own power output as required. This explains three previously unexplained phenomena, in addition to their abnormal power levels.

Firstly, Danny showed unheard-of exponential growth in ectoplasmic potential during the first three years after his accident. This was originally thought to be caused by his increasing experience in controlling his powers, but it is now thought to be a result of his physical growth and maturation. As he progressed through puberty, he grew substantially in height and became notably broader and more muscular, also helped by his intensive training and ghost fighting. This effectively meant that there was substantially more cells in his mature body than there were when he originally became a halfa, resulting in far greater power output.

It appears that during Mitosis, along with the chromosome pairs splitting off, so does the ectoplasmic micro-core. This results in each of the two daughter cells having a half-strength core until more ectoplasm can be located, such as by entering an ectoplasm rich environment like the Ghost Zone or by consuming something with a high level of ectoplasm contained in it. It is still unknown if these micro-cores are passed on during Meiosis or if the four-cell split dilutes the concentration too much and causes the cores to destabilise. If the cores _are _passed on to the gametes produced during Meiosis, then it may be possible for the offspring of a halfa to inherit their ectoplasmic properties, though at a weaker level than their parent, due to the lack of a true core in them. This is still hypothetical as no halfa has been willing to provide a sample of gametes for testing yet.

The second phenomenon is the well known transformation process. Halfa's have the capacity to alter their appearance and physiology between their standard human form and a spectral form that obeys the same rules as the physical appearances of normal ghosts, with some restrictions. The transformation is triggered when the primary core is tapped for power, effectively causing an energy cascade through the rest of body, activating the micro-cores. This often expresses itself as a pair of visible energy rings travelling across the body, either horizontally or vertically, from a central location where the primary core is based. When this state is active, ectoplasm binds directly to the outside of the cell walls, acting as a protective barrier. Also, ectoplasm forms an external appearance in the same way as seen in true ghosts, ie; it's a representation of the individuals cognitive concept of self, often manifesting in negative colour. Like ghosts, this image is modifiable as the individual's concept of self develops, but unlike ghosts, it's restricted by the physical limitations of the original body. For example, Danny could not make himself look like an 8ft tall dragon, but if he could manipulate his concept of self that far, his ghost form would appear to be covered in scales, but still restricted to his actual physical shape, perhaps with some minor protrusions, such as fangs.

The third thing is the capacity for halfa's to manifest their ectoplasmic powers in their human form and in localised areas of the body, such as making a hand intangible but not the rest of the arm, or shifting the appearance of their eyes from human to spectral at will. This effect is caused when the micro-cores in that region of the body are activated, either consciously through thought or unconsciously through emotions or the autonomic nervous system. The power generation in this state is much lower than it would be if the primary core was active, but it does allow for a great deal more subtlety.

A final note on the psychology of halfas; they don't run the risk of being forced into an obsessive or emotionally retarded state like traditional ghosts as they retain complete mental faculty. This does not preclude such tendencies from developing anyway (Vlad being a case in point), and to some degree, the power they are imbued with will have a noticeable impact on their psyche. The effects of this are determined by their outlook and the external influences on them.

That's why Team Phantom is so important for Danny and, to a lesser extent, Danielle. They view their power as a reason to protect others rather than a tool to be used for personal gain, and it's our job to keep them on that path. Vlad is a sobering reminder of what could happen otherwise.


	4. Weapons and Technology

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

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><p><strong>Introduction: Weaponry and Technology:<strong>

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><p>This chapter is dedicated to the most common technology that any member of Team Phantom will encounter, mainly Fenton tech, and does not cover individual member's specialist equipment, ask them about it if you really want to know.<p>

Let's start off with the basics:

**Fenton Thermos:** The Fenton Thermos is the single most ubiquitous and useful piece of equipment you can have with you when dealing with ghosts. It is mandatory that any active member of Team Phantom carries a Thermos on their person at all times. The most recent version is significantly more portable as it now collapses in upon itself when not in use.

The Thermos works by stabilising and locking the quantum state of ectoplasm by hitting it with a wide diameter ionising laser. This forces the ectoplasm molecules to create a field around themselves, locking any other matter in the same quantum state. An electron burst is then fired to excite the target matter and cause the now dimensionally locked ectoplasm to alter its position in space-time (as discussed previously) into a particular space; specifically, inside the Thermos. The ionising laser takes a short period of time to force the shift in the ectoplasm, so it is easiest to capture a ghost if it is surprised or weary from battle.

The Thermos is most effective on pure ectoplasmic matter, which covers the majority of ghosts. But some use standard matter components, and in those circumstances the Thermos has to rely on the field generated by the ectoplasm molecules. The most difficult group to capture is Halfas as they posses abnormally high power generation and they are primarily composed of organic matter, with ectoplasm contained largely within their cells.

**Fenton Phones:** The Fenton Phones serve a dual purpose; first they are a compact and convenient communications device that is both unobtrusive and capable of exceptional range and clarity, and secondly, they identify and cancel out any sonic signatures derived from ectoplasmic energy (they block uniquely ghost-based sound). This does not include speech, as it is the result of normal mechanical vibrations, even in ghosts, but other sounds, such as ectoplasmicly amplified instruments, are effectively neutralised by the Fenton Phones.

Again, these are mandatory for active Team Members so that they are in contact with the rest of the Team at all times.

**Ghost Tracker: **As the name implies, it is a wide-spectrum scanner that identifies the distinct energy signature produced by actively manipulated ectoplasm. This can cause discharged ecto-weapons to show up, but they will be very small in comparison to a ghost. Halfas can be detected both in their ghost and human forms due to trace levels of power being generated by their cellular micro-cores, however the effect is generally weaker than what's seen from a true ghost.

**Ecto-Perfecto:** Previously known as Ecto-Dejecto; the original formula was intended to utilise a highly unstable ectoplasm isotope to effectively poison any ghost it came into contact with. Instead, the instability and substantial amount of power given off in the form of highly energised sub-atomic particles proved to be a remarkable pick-me-up for ghosts, acting like an adrenaline shot would in a human.

The compound was since renamed given its new function.

The long term effects of regular exposure to this unstable form of ectoplasm are unknown, so it is best used only in the case of dire injuries or when it is absolutely imperative that a ghost or halfa continues fighting.

**Spectre Speeder:** A lightly armoured vehicle designed for the sole purpose of safely transporting individuals into, within and out of the Ghost Zone. The Speeder utilises a prototype ectoplasmic energy core to replicate ghosts' observed gravity-defying properties, allowing it to hover with no downward thrust. This means it is both highly mobile and capable of reaching substantial speeds, only being slowed by drag. The chassis is plated with ectoplasm resistant armour (see 'Body Armour' below) and the entire vehicle is surrounded by a weak electromagnetic field that keeps it stable inside the Ghost Zone. The design is highly modular so a variety of equipment and weapons can be added or removed as required. The current Spectre Speeder is the fourth iteration of the concept.

**Ecto-Guns:** The most basic form of anti-ghost weapon around, ecto-guns are basically magnetic Accelerator Cannons, using superconductors to propel ectoplasm at high velocities. The concept functions on the same basis as ghost ecto-blasts; like bullets are effective against humans but not against ghosts, ectoplasm is highly effective against ghosts, but not against humans. As a result, they can be used with limited concern about collateral damage, though they are still firing highly energised matter at high speeds and should be used with caution.

The guns draw from an integrated reserve of ectoplasm and collapse it into a dense and highly energised state, before wrapping it in a magnetic field to force it to retain its shape when fired. The impact, plus the magnetic field, can cause substantial disruption to a ghost's ability to maintain its form, effectively damaging it.

Halfa's are far more resilient to ecto-weapons than a normal ghost, but they are much more vulnerable to standard matter weapons as a result.

**Fenton Bazooka:** Named for its similarity in appearance to anti-tank weaponry, not its effect, the Fenton Bazooka fires quantum locked pellets of ectoplasm that, upon impacting another source of ectoplasm, rip open a small and unstable portal to the Ghost Zone. The effect is short lived (little more than five seconds at most) and the area of effect is very limited, but it is highly effective for dealing with massed groups of ghosts or particularly powerful individuals where the Thermos is simply too restricted in ability.

**Fenton Wrist-Rays:** An energy weapon that utilises a miniature ectoplasm reactor to generate ectoplasmic energy and then channel it into steady beam of charged particles. The concept is that the charged particles interfere with the electro-magnetic fields that stabilise ectoplasm in this dimension, effectively causing a ghost to lose control over its form if it is subjected to repeated hits.

This is one of the few weapons that effect halfas and true ghosts equally, as it does not rely on ectoplasmic contact to cause damage.

**Body Armour: **An upgraded, combat version of the Specter Deflector. Specially designed metalloid based ceramics are fashioned into plate-armour and connected to a power supply that imbues the plates with a distorting electro-magnetic field, effectively neutralising ectoplasm based attacks as they are unable to hold their shape when they come into contact with the plates. The ceramic nature also provides a degree of protection from physical and energy based attacks.

This armour cannot be worn by halfas or allied ghosts as the nature of the disruption field would prove disastrous to them if they stayed in contact with it for any extended period of time.


	5. Sam and Tucker

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: This is the first of the Character chapters. I combined Sam and Tucker because there really wasn't enough to write about each one individually and even now this Chapter is much shorter than I'd like. This is mainly because there's almost nothing to write about how they joined the team as they were kinda there from the beginning. **

**Other Character chapters will (hopefully) be notably longer as each character has it's own unique story and reason for joining. Jazz will be next and then the non-cannon team members will begin, the first few are somewhat predictable but there should be a couple of surprises, I hope, and if nothing else, hopefully their stories will interest you./AN]**

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><p><strong>Tucker Foley:<strong> Technological Aid, Sabotage, R&D Prototyping, Intelligence Gathering and Analysis, Combat Support.

**Sam Manson: **Medical Aid, Weaponry Maintenance, Logistics and Organisation, Heavy Combat Support.

The originals, Samantha (Sam if you value your life/afterlife) Manson and Tucker Foley were the first members of the unofficial Team Phantom when they witnessed the accident that gifted Danny with his powers. As a result, they were instrumental in helping him in those early months and were no less useful as Danny began to master his powers. Both Sam and Tucker were close friends to Danny prior to the accident and there bond has only grown stronger since that point.

Sam was also the driving force behind the establishment of the current Team Phantom, convincing Danny that he needed some allies beyond herself, Tucker and his sister Jazz.

Danny relies on both of them heavily and they effectively function as his Lieutenants, so be ready and willing to act on any instructions they give you. Their opinions are always consulted and incorporated when planning and their experience of fighting with Danny is unrivalled; many opponents have commented on the nearly instinctual connection between the trio, both during combat and in everyday situation.

They have unique skills that they bring to the team as detailed above, Tucker specialising in the technological aspect of the operations and often found working on improving the technology utilised by the team to combat and capture ghosts, while Sam is more useful in direct combat and organisational skills, plus her not inconsiderable wealth means she can easily acquire otherwise difficult to find resources and materials. But they are also instrumental in maintaining Danny's cover, ensuring that the general populous continue to believe that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom are to separate individuals with absolutely nothing in common beyond their first names.

It is worth noting that Danny is _very_ protective of those he is close to, and seeing as how Tucker is practically his brother and Sam is his girlfriend, it goes doubly for them. If at all possible, do not allow any harm to befall them and if you _cause_ any harm to them, there is no where on Earth or the Ghost Zone that you will be safe.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you have it.<strong>

**As I said before, Jazz is next, but I don't really have a time frame for the next update; though I should have it done within a week.**

**Thanks again for reading and a special thanks for those who reviewed, followed and fave'd the last chapter. /AN]**


	6. Jazz

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And here's Jazz's chapter. Again, this one is rather short, though still longer than the previous 'Sam and Tucker' one. I normally prefer a minimum of 1000 words per chapter, but that isn't really proving to be feasible here. I hope the chapter lengths will pick up slightly as I get into the characters who will need more explanation, but I can't promise anything.**

**Either way, here's the next Chapter. /AN]**

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><p><strong>Jasmine Fenton:<strong> Psycho-analysis and Psychotherapy, Logistics, Intelligence Analysis, Infiltration and Investigation, First Aid, Tactical and Strategic Planning, Light Combat Support.

Jazz and Danny's relationship has, in the past, been as complex as any other sibling bond, with equal parts love, respect, envy and irritation. This was often exacerbated by Jazz's remarkable leap in maturity during her adolescent years in an attempt to, in her own words "make up for our parent's shortcomings as, well, parents". This often manifested itself as an overly maternal slant to their relationship.

This, naturally increased tensions between the two siblings and after Danny's accident and subsequent dramatic shift in behaviour, the result was an almost exclusively antagonistic relationship between the two.

This changed, however, when Jazz unintentionally saw Danny transform one day. The realisation altered her view towards her younger brother substantially and, though she refused to let him know that she knew he was Phantom, she began to assist him in the background; covering for him with their parents, assisting him with his school work and reducing her almost maternal tendencies towards him.

It was only after the aforementioned Temporal Incident that Danny learned of Jazz's discovery and so was formally inducted as the first new member of "Team Phantom" as it was created shortly after the incident.

Her combat skills are notable, being a capable fighter both in single combat and against numerous weaker foes, though she lacks the weapons expertise or natural powers of the other Team Members, and so is rarely required to take on a combat role.

Her real strength and value, however, lies in her mind. Jazz has a high-range Genius level IQ and she has proven to be one of the foremost strategists in the Team, able to organise and plan for almost any conceivable scenario. Equally, her understanding of both human and spectral psychology gives her a unique insight into the variety of foes the Team faces, as well as being ideally suited to assisting Team Members with any issues that may come about as a result of the often highly stressful work Team Phantom undertakes.

This has at times been critical to maintaining Danny's morale and sanity and it is no surprise that Danny has come to rely on and trust his sister with things that previously only Sam and perhaps Tucker would have known.

As with Sam and Tucker, Jazz has been invaluable in the constant struggle to maintain the façade of a very separate Danny Fenton and Phantom. She has created a number of contingency plans and cover stories that can and have been used as required.

The same warning note as applied to Sam and Tucker in the previous chapter can be applied equally well here; Jazz is essential to Danny's continued well-being and once again, Danny can be very protective of her.

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><p><strong>[AN: I've started work on the first tie-in piece that will largely be continuing on from 'Pre-emptive Strike' and will cover the formation of "Team Phantom" I'm hoping that I will be able to write decent stories about a majority of the chapters planned for this story.<strong>

**I have to say, I've been absolutely floored by the response to this story so far, I wasn't expecting anywhere near as much interest as has been shown. In fact, it's on its way to becoming one of my most viewed and reviewed stories, considering how recently it was posted. **

**I'm still not sure if that's a reflection of the fact that you readers like what I'm writing in this story or if it's a sad reflection on the quality of my other stories... Eh, regardless, thanks for all the feedback so far! /AN]**


	7. Clockwork

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: So you may be wondering where the 3 new chapters came from, this is one, but the other two were added after the ectoplasm treatise and before the character chapters, so I'm sorry for messing around with the order, but it simply wouldn't have made sense to have them in the middle of the character pages.**

**It's short, again, and I apologise profusely for it, it's just that it's hard to think of more detailed things to say for Clockwork. I hope the other two chapters help make up for the short length./AN]**

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><p><strong>Clockwork: <strong>Ally, personal involvement rare but significant when it occurs, near complete control over the flow of time as well as personal control over his position in space-time, mastery of duplication greater than any other known ghost.

Clockwork is one of the most powerful entities living in either dimension, with the capacity to position himself where ever he sees fit in space and time, on top of the normal range of ectoplasm based powers that ghosts posses, which he can also control to devastating effect.

It is rare for Clockwork to get directly involved in the daily affairs of either world and he only intervenes if the situation is truly dire, but he has proven himself a trusted ally and friend to Danny, as well as a mentor and protector.

He tends to be very cryptic if asked questions about the future, so as not to upset the often delicate balance of the near-infinite time streams he has seen.

Clockwork offered his assistance to Danny after the Temporal Incident, which was when Danny first met him. He has often been the first port-of-call when a significant development arises or when Danny discovers something new about his abilities. Other times, he directly interposes himself into the timeline to give us information we require. On very rare and dire occasions, he will assist in combat; and that is an awesome and chilling sight.

While he will not be drawn on the matter, anecdotal evidence suggests that Clockwork has had a far greater impact on Danny's life than we may ever know, both directly and indirectly. He seems to have taken a special interest in him even before the Observants charged him with monitoring him. Whether this is because he knew he would end up monitoring him anyway or for other reasons, only he knows, but he is among the most useful allies the Team has as well as a personal friend to many of them.

If you're lucky you may just get to meet him; just pray that it is on friendly terms.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there's Clockwork. Any guesses on who's next?<strong>

**Thanks again for reading and a special thanks to those who have reviewed, followed and favourited. /AN]**


	8. Jack and Maddie

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: So here's the next profile, and it's the Fentons! **

**I am trying to stick to the cannon timeline as much as possible, which is why people like Dani and Valerie haven't been mentioned yet; Dani wouldn't even exist at this point in time! The actual plot progression is obviously different, but I wanted to keep the story progression as close as possible to the show. **

**I have posted a brief one-shot detailing the formation of Team Phantom called 'Moral Support'. It's much less dark and a bit more humorous than 'Pre-emptive Strike', but I believe it still fits in with the general themes of the continuity. You can also expect to see a short piece on getting Jack and Maddie to join in the near future. As I've said before, I aim to flesh out these chapters with actual stories where possible/sensible.**

**I also added an entry for the Spectre Speeder into Chapter 4./AN]**

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><p><strong>Jack Fenton: <strong>Engineering and Design, R&D prototyping, Transportation, Heavy Combat Support.

**Maddie Fenton: **R&D prototyping, Strategic and Tactical Planning, Weaponry Maintenance, Medical Aid, Logistics, Heavy Combat Support.

The elder Fenton's were perhaps the most significant, and difficult, additions to Team Phantom. Danny faced a substantial dilemma in whether or not to tell his parents about his actual nature. In the end, he did and we are all better off for it.

The main issue came from Jack and Maddie's vocal and often aggressive antipathy for ghosts in general and Phantom in particular. This obviously put Danny in a difficult position. In the end, with urging from multiple sources, Danny confronted his parents and explained the situation.

Once the Fenton's accepted the truth of the matter, the transition was rather smooth, but it was preceded by brief period of high tensions. This period of time was incredibly complex and it is rarely spoken off outside of the individuals involved.

One of the most substantial revelations for the Fenton's was that the majority of their theories on Ghost behaviour and complexity were utterly wrong on almost every level, and this led to a marked shift in their behaviour.

They redoubled their efforts in research and began to include field research and observation as part of their analysis. They also applied themselves to developing more effective defences against ghosts that were less eccentric than some previous designs, as it had gone from being an issue of some concern on the periphery to being an actual life or death matter.

They were also shocked by the sheer number of ghosts that Danny dealt with on a day-to-day basis, along with his numerous injuries. They adapted quickly but neither of them, Maddie in particular, were pleased with the level of risk Team Phantom regularly exposed itself to.

Being somewhat experienced in spectral combat, both Jack and Maddie regularly take Support roles in combat, often dealing with low threat ghosts by themselves, particularly while Danny is at school or recovering from an injury.

One of the major impacts that they had but may never be fully aware of is the difference it made for Danny to no longer have to hide his nature and activities from his parents. It gained him far more freedom and leniency to fight and recover without the added stress of attempting to prevent discovery by his parents. It also meant that Jack and Maddie could provide seemingly legitimate reasons for Danny's academic struggles, which in turn greatly improved his school life as Detentions became far less frequent.

Despite the somewhat rocky beginnings, both have proven themselves as invaluable cogs in the machine that is team Phantom. They are to thank, along with Tucker, for a majority of the equipment and weaponry utilised as standard now and for our ever expanding knowledge on ghost physiology; specifically are current level of knowledge on halfas and how ghosts manifest their ethereal effects in the human world.

The technological capacity of team Phantom has also increased markedly since the Fenton's began to develop weaponry and defences that were more precise in their targets and could be used more freely around allied ghosts and halfas. The quality and effectiveness of their designs has also increased markedly since they have been able to study potential effects on consenting subjects.

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><p><strong>[AN: And that's that folks.<strong>

**Any guesses for the next chapter? Or perhaps something you'd like to see added or explained?**

**Thankyou for reading, and if you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it. /AN]**


	9. Frostbite and the Far Frozen

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And here's Frostbite everyone! The first of the large-scale allies that Danny gets and one of the most useful, this is also the longest profile I've written yet, though it's still not exactly huge. I am truly trying to write more for each character but it's not easy for some reason.**

**Irrespective of the somewhat short nature of it, I do hope that you continue to enjoy the story; so far this story is my most reviewed story and it is rapidly becoming one of my most viewed and liked as well, so thanks for all the support!/AN]**

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><p><strong>Frostbite:<strong> Ally, Leader of the Far Frozen and steadfast supporter of Danny. Immense physical strength and vast combat experience, unparalleled mastery of ice-based ectoplasmic abilities, guardian of the Infi-Map. He has dedicated the entirety of the Far Frozen to assisting Danny.

Frostbite and the people of the Far Frozen are somewhat of an enigma. Closely resembling a race of gigantic ghostly Yetis, it is unclear if they are the spectral remnants of undiscovered species or if they are an in fact endemic to the Ghost Zone and an example of life that evolved in that separate dimension. Frostbite seems to take great pleasure in leaving us guessing and even Clockwork refuses to comment. Either way, they are proof of a monumental scientific discovery just waiting to happen.

But more than that, they are among the most fervent supporters of Danny and his efforts to safeguard the Human and Ghost Zones. Frostbite invariably refers to Danny as the "Great One", in deference to his defeat of Pariah Dark; it was soon discovered that that event had gained Danny quite a bit of respect and more than a little fear amongst the denizens of the Zone. Frostbite definitely fell into the 'respect' category and quickly pledged his personal support, as well as the support of his entire race, to assisting Danny's cause. This means that Danny effectively has an _army_ of the most physically imposing and powerful ghosts yet seen in the Ghost Zone, all of which have a high level of mastery over their Ice Cores, at his disposal.

This knowledge of Ice Cores also meant that Frostbite was the person Danny turned to when his Ice Core began to fully assert itself. The effects, usually harmless to an ectoplasmic entity, were proving to be debilitating and verging on lethal for Danny due to his human physiology. Frostbite taught Danny to effectively channel the heat sapping effects of his core, giving him access to a wide variety of new powers and a degree of utility he never possessed before, due to the uniquely stable nature ectoplasmically affected ice crystal posses, seeing as it possess ectoplamsic bonds that resist melting unless those bonds are neutralised with more ectoplasmic energy. This allows him to flash-fabricate a number of simple items, including basic weaponry and defensive items, and his skill at manipulating the ice is ever-increasing under Frostbite's tutelage.

Perhaps the greatest impact that Frostbite has had on the Team was making the Infi-Map available to Danny if and when he needs it. The Infi-Map is an almost magical item that has the ability to track and transport individuals to any currently active natural portal, allowing near-instantaneous transport inside the Ghost Zone and between the human world if the Fenton Portal is ever out of commission for whatever reason; even through time itself due to the variability of Space-Time in the Ghost Zone. The people of the Far Frozen guard the powerful relic jealously as in the wrong hands it could result in unimaginable damage, as proven when Vlad managed to acquire it briefly. As such, it is an immense display of trust on Frostbite's behalf to allow Danny _any_ access to the Map, let alone the level of use he has with it currently.

Danny and various members of Team Phantom make regular trips to the Far Frozen to visit Frostbite and his people, both to train and to catch up on events in the Ghost Zone. The Far Frozen is also one of the designated 'Safe Zones' set up both in the Human world and in the Ghost Zone that any member of Team Phantom can find safety and support in if they ever find themselves lost or cut off.

Like Clockwork, it is rare for Frostbite to take part in actual combat as Danny doesn't see the need to bother him or his people with the often trivial threats he faces on a daily basis, but he is the first ally Danny will contact if he really needs some support; a trust that that Frostbite has proven time and time again by supporting Danny with everything he has at his disposal.

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><p><strong>[AN: Another one down, I have seven more characters planned and the next one is one I've been looking forward to writing for since I started this. It will also be the last one constrained by the cannon flow of the story, which should give you a hint as to who it will be.<strong>

**Thanks again for your continuing feedback and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. /AN]**


	10. Dani

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: This is Dani's profile. It's a bit brief and makes reference to a couple of situations and specifics that _will_ be explained later in a couple of my derivative stories, following on from the current three that I've got posted.**

**As could be imagined, much of Dani's personal situation is hugely complex so I felt it best to seperate the story. This handbook will provide a brief overview of the facts surrounding situations I want to expand in separate short pieces, which will focus more heavily on the emotional and inter-personal aspects of the character interaction.**

**I've also gone back and polished the previous chapters somewhat and made some alteration to Jack and Maddie's chapter./AN]**

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><p><strong>Danielle FentonPhantom: **A near-identical power set to Danny, with many that are yet to develop fully. Slightly weaker levels of power generation when compared to Danny due to the unique nature of her creation, but this may balance out over time. She plays a major combat role in fights.

As stated in a previous chapter, Danielle, or more commonly Dani, is the third known halfa in existence and she was 'created' by Vlad Masters/Plasmius via a complex mix of recombinant genetic methods and cloning from Danny and, for reasons known only to Vlad, Sam's genetic material. This fact was only discovered at a later date after Jack and Maddie analysed captured files from Vlad's laboratory with their own preliminary tests on Danielle. Dani's unique biological nature is too complex and personal to put into this handbook, but the upshot of it is that she is biologically and emotionally Danny and Sam's daughter, despite the seemingly negligible age gap in their physical appearances.

Despite this unique relationship between the two halfas, Dani was the first member of Team Phantom who would engage in heavy combat with Danny instead of acting as support. This was because Dani was the first member who could actually handle such regular combat and who could recover from any injuries sustained with minimal external medical intervention. She is gifted with the same set of powers as Danny so far, and it's unknown if her altered hormonal systems and slightly different genetic code will have any impact on what powers she develops, or if halfa's are capable a developing all currently observed ectoplasmic powers, with the only restriction being their power generation.

Dani is slightly weaker than her 'father' when it comes to measured ectoplasmic energy output and this is due to her notably slighter frame giving her fewer cellular cores to utilise and also the process by which Vlad forced the creation of a full core to develop, which again is a story that is too personal to Dani to put in this handbook. Much of the observable power discrepancy will even out as she matures physically, but it will be impossible to know exactly how much until that time.

Regardless of the difference in power levels, Dani is a powerful and aggressive fighter in her own right, and more than capable of taking on some of the more dangerous foes that Team Phantom has to deal with by herself. She also works seamlessly with Danny in a way that previously only Sam and Tucker could claim.

The aforementioned protective nature of Danny towards those he considers friends and loved ones obviously extends to, and is magnified with, Danielle; as was seen during one rather infamous encounter with Vlad. She is his daughter in everything but law (given that she doesn't officially exist) and so any threat to her is neutralised with brutal and rapid efficiency. Very few individuals, human or ghost, make that mistake any more.

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><p><strong>[AN: Yes, I made it a Fatherdaughter relationship between Danny and Dani, because it really is the most logical explanation for her turning out to be female. And Sam's the 'Mother' because there are only two other viable options; Valerie, which is pretty much ruled out due to how similar Danny and Dani are phenotypically (Sam is similar enough but Valerie is not) and the other option is Maddie, which is a possibility I _really_ don't want to consider to carefully, even though it might make slightly more sense to someone as obsessed as Vlad...**

**Thanks for reading once again, and particularly to those who have given me so much feedback so far, it's a great encouragement. /AN]**


	11. Dora

Disclaimer: I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Yep, the next character up is Dora the Ghost Princess/Dragon.**

**I figured Danny could use some political assistance as everyone else has been combat oriented so far.**

**I also want to apologise for the time taken to get this chapter out, I got badly stuck finishing off 'As it Should Be' and I didn't really feel like working on this until I had finished that story. So far the chronology of this continuity is as follows:**

**Pre-emptive Strike - Moral Support - As it Should Be - The Team Phantom Handbook**

**There are at least two more planned and a further two I am strongly considering, in addition to five more characters for this handbook.**

**As always, I hope you enjoy this chapter./AN]**

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><p><strong>Princess Dorathea:<strong> Ally, ruler of a large population of ghosts and possess centuries of experience with the politics of the Ghost Zone. Also a highly capable warrior and very willing to lead her troops from the front.

The relationship between Danny and Princess Dorathea, more commonly referred to as Dora by the veteran members of team Phantom, has been rocky in the past, as she had been entirely subject to the will of her egocentric and cruel brother Aragon. She had remained in a state of effective servitude to her brother for the majority of her centuries of existence and she had become quite passive in this role, unwilling or unable to speak out against her tyrannical brother.

After an unfortunate incident involving an abducted Sam and a Beauty Pageant (don't ask), Danny and Tucker entered the Ghost Zone, where they entered what was at the time Aragon's kingdom. Dora was convinced by Sam to through off the despotic rule of her brother by assisting Danny in defeating him. After the battle, Dora ascended to power and put her extensive knowledge of ruling that she had collected over the centuries to good use, without the cruel and power-hungry slant of her brother. Dora and her kingdom had little in the way of contact with Danny after that, until Danny took his parents to meet Frostbite.

The Fenton's, now fully integrated into the makeup of Team Phantom, were understandably curious about the Ghost Zone and the allegedly benevolent ghosts that Danny regularly referred to, so it was decided that they should be introduced to Frostbite. Over the course of the visit, Frostbite suggested that Danny should consider expanding his sphere of influence within the Zone as he was quickly becoming a well known and prominent figure amongst the Zone's denizens due to his defeat of Pariah Dark, the numerous tales of his abnormal power and his almost unique status as a Halfa. He suggested that Danny should consider allying himself with another large community like the Far Frozen and the first one that came to mind for Danny was Dora.

While his parents were left under the care of Frostbite, Danny and Sam visited Dora's kingdom in the hopes of establishing some sort of agreement. Here, Danny's complete lack of subtle negotiation skills and political manoeuvring was shown clearly, but Dora refused to take advantage of their obvious inexperience as she considered them friends already; considering all they had done for her. Instead, she readily agreed to an alliance of the same nature as the one Danny had in place with the Far Frozen; complete support and assistance for Danny, so long as he continues to protect both the human and ghost realms. She also offered to represent his interests within the Ghost Zone, given her vast knowledge of the intricacies and difficulties of politics amongst the numerous ghosts.

But Dora is not merely an ambassador, she is a competent warrior and she will readily join her own forces in battle, primarily due to the Dragon amulet she possesses. The amulets is effectively an ornate ad powerful ectoplasmic energy generator that can generate sufficient ectoplasmic energy to generate a draconic manifestation around the wearer, or, in Dora's and any other ghost's case, effectively combine temporarily with their core and triple its output, leading to their apparent mutation into the form of a dragon. This dragon form is immensely powerful and resilient to damage, as one would expect, and it means that the wearer immediately becomes a substantial force to be reckoned with. Dora is the only individual known who possesses one of these amulets now as her brother's was confiscated upon his defeat.

Dora has been of almost incalculable benefit to Danny as she has, and continues to, gain more allies and resources for his cause, allowing Danny a great deal more freedom within the Ghost Zone and cutting down slightly on the overall number of ghosts entering the human world. Clockwork in particular seemed very pleased by this alliance, but he has refused to elaborate on why beyond his usual cryptic references to possible future events. Only Time will tell it would seem, just not it's Master.

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><p><strong>[AN: Any ideas about what Clockwork is so pleased about? It's a possible plot point I'll explore in the future, but not in this handbook, but I'd be interested if anyone can guess.<strong>

**Also, any guesses for who the remaining five characters are? Some of them should be rather obvious, but at least one should be a big surprise (I hope).**

**And finally, I'd like to thank all of you readers for making this story my most Viewed, Reviewed and Followed story. I only have one story that has more Favourites than this one as well and it's for a different series and genre entirely, plus it was my first posted piece so it's been around much longer.**

**So thank you again, and I hope you enjoyed! /AN]**


	12. Wulf

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Wulf is the character in question for this chapter. It's rather short, as I simply couldn't find a lot to say about him. He's an intriguing character, but not really expanded on significantly, so there's not much to go off.**

**I would also like to apologise for the time taken to get this next chapter out. This is largely because I am also working on 'The Events that Shape Us', which is basically my take on "D-Stabilised" and will fill in a lot of my interpretation of Dani's character that was left out of her chapter in this story as well as set up for the character whole will feature in the next chapter of this story.**

**As always, I hope that you like this chapter and thank you for all of the interest and support that has been shown for this story; it's massively encouraging to know that people read and actually like what you're writing./AN]**

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><p><strong>Wulf:<strong> Ally, expert in inter-dimensional travel due to his ability to generate portals at will. Highly skilled in reconnaissance and Close Quarters Combat.

Wulf cuts an imposing figure as he most closely resembles a bipedal wolf. With his 7ft height, vicious-looking fangs and claws and impressive physical strength and speed, many have assumed him to be a vicious and destructive beast.

But that is quite far from the truth.

Wulf is an intelligent and loyal ally with an aversion to fighting unless either himself or a friend is threatened, but when provoked he posses speed, strength and agility far beyond that of most ghosts.

In addition, despite his lycanthropic appearance, Wulf is rather fluent in Esperanto (the language Franca within the Ghost Zone) and he has quickly gained a solid understanding of spoken English, though he still struggles to actually use it in speech.

Aside from his physical and mental capabilities, Wulf possess one near-unique power; the ability to literally rip a hole in the fabric of space-time. This ability allows him to create portals between the human and ghost realms, though the process is draining and there is a degree of imprecision. Obviously, this is a hugely powerful utility as it means he can traverse between the realms with comparative ease.

This is most useful when reconnaissance is required as Wulf can effectively jump between the area in question and a safe-zone at will, and this, combined with his impressive physical capabilities, makes him the premier scout in Team Phantom and Danny's first choice if intelligence is needed on an enemy position.

Wulf has a longstanding enmity with Walker, and it was this enmity that was the original cause of his first meeting with Danny. On two occasions, Danny assisted Wulf when he was either captured or being hunted by Walker and Wulf quickly recognised Danny as an 'amiko' (friend in Esperanto).

Both times, Wulf returned to the Ghost Zone in order to flee from Walker, as staying in one position would be too dangerous for any extended period of time. However, when word reached him that Danny was forming a small alliance of allies, he immediately offered his services to his friend, and while he has remained mobile within the Ghost Zone, he does spend extended periods of time in the Human realm, assisting Team Phantom in its day-to-day activities.

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><p><strong>[AN: So yeah, like I said, it's pretty short. Hopefully the next chapter should make up for it, as it's a quite requested character.<strong>

**I'm still curious to se what you all think the remaining 4 characters will be.**

**Until next time, thank you once more for reading! /AN]**


	13. Valerie

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: My sincerest apologise for how long this chapter has taken. I wanted to wait until I had gotten a fair way through 'The Events that Shape Us' as Valerie features heavily in that, but that took much longer than anticipated as I simply did not have as much time to write as I thought I would.**

**So, yeah, sorry about the two week wait, it shouldn't happen again (I think :/).**

**Regardless, here is Valerie's chapter, I think this is one of the longest to date, which makes sense as Valerie brings a lot to the team and a fair bit of backstory.**

**As per usual, I hope you enjoy the chapter./AN]**

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><p><strong>Valerie Grey:<strong> Extremely proficient in combat, trained in a variety of martial arts and ecto-weaponry. Primary trainer for Team Phantom's human members. Also among the first to respond to a spectral incursion due to the enhanced mobility her jet-sled grants her.

The Red Huntress, previously one of Danny's most dangerous and capable opponents and now one of his fiercest allies. It would take far too long to delve into the early personal relationship between Danny and Valerie as it is… complex, to say the least.

Valerie was equipped and informed by one other than Vlad Masters. He provided her with a prototype combat exoskeleton that greatly enhanced the users reflexes and strength, as well as providing exceptional protection from ectoplasm based attacks, both projectile and energy based. It also came with jet-sled, a thin board with an ectoplasmic energy generator on board that, like the Spectre Speeder, mimicked the capability of ghosts to defy gravity. It was also couple with numerous directional thrusters and a pair of small jet turbines which would activate based on Valerie's movements. With this, she became a substantial threat to Danny's existence, as he would never really hurt a human, even if she was wearing an advanced combat exo-suit. And then Vlad equipped her with a veritable arsenal of ecto-weapons, all specifically designed to be highly effective against a Halfa's ectoplasmically reinforced and protected human physiology.

This led to Valerie becoming one of Danny most persistent and threatening enemies, as he would not do anything that could actually hurt her, which, until he had developed his ice powers and began to push the limits of his flight ability, didn't leave him a lot of options except to hide or try to reason with her, which never went over well.

Still, Valerie didn't focus exclusively of Phantom. She would readily fight any other ghosts that entered Amity Park, though her tracking systems were somewhat less advanced then the Fenton's equipment. She actually made Danny's life a bit easier once she had grown in skill; she was still a major threat to him, but he knew that she could take care of most of the weaker ghosts, so it was less imperative that he fight every single one that came through the portal.

The alliance between them came about as the result of a nearly lethal attempt of Danielle's life by Vlad, with Valerie as his weapon of choice. Specific details can be found in the mission report, but the summary is that Valerie captured Danny and Danielle, who was then sent to Vlad. Danny told her that Dani was in fact half human, that Vlad had created her and that he was planning on experimenting on her. Valerie was sceptical but agreed to investigate Danny's claims. The difficulty of the situation was compounded by the fact that Danielle was in the process of Destabilising. Upon finding Danielle being experimented on by Plasmius, Valerie forced him to flee, which gave Danny the chance to avert Danielle's Destabilisation, though only barely. Afterwards, she witnessed the uniquely father-daughter relationship between the pair and decided that she could put aside her hatred of phantom for Dani's sake, so long as Phantom didn't do anything she could consider evil.

It was only weeks later when, after discovering the identity of Plasmius as Vlad Masters and seeing Dani in the presence of Danny Fenton, that she put together all of the evidence she had seen and realised that Danny phantom and Fenton were one and the same. She confronted him about it and after receiving a thorough explanation from him, agreed to actively assist him by joining Team Phantom.

Their personal relationship has grown substantially and the previous Trio has grown by two, now with Danielle and Valerie added in. The mutual attraction that existed between Danny and Valerie is no longer present, much to Sam's relief, and they are now simply good friends and combat partners. In fact, Sam's hostility towards Valerie has also disappeared; whether it is because she is no longer attacking Danny or because Danny is no longer romantically attracted to her is anyone's guess.

Valerie has also been a substantial boost to the combat logistics of the team, trading techniques and information with Jack and Maddie as well as setting up a training routine for all of the human team members, and Danny and Dani on occasion. And due to her exoskeleton's protective enhancements, she regularly spars with Danny, teaching him martial techniques she has learnt in the past, while Danny showed her how to get the most out of her Jet-sled.

Valerie also offered to give Danny a break by taking two days a week of patrolling and combat on herself, only calling Danny and Danielle in if there was a serious threat about. This had an immeasurable impact on Danny; now that he had Valerie, Danielle and his parents regularly offering to take over his protective mantle, he had time to properly recover and live life. He was still the primary fighter for Team Phantom, seeing as he could literally take on the entire team (excluding Clockwork) and win, but even he had to recognise that he wasn't always needed when a ectopuss attacked or the Box Ghost showed up.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you go, only three more allies to go and so far only one of them has been guessed correctly at any point so far, and that one's coming up next. Hopefully that chapter shouldn't take nearly as long as this one.<strong>

**Thanks again for reading! /AN]**


	14. Mr Lancer

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: So yeah... the two week wait kinda happened again... sorry about that; it's honestly not intentional, just not always avoidable.**

**To make up for my lack of updates, I would strongly recommend checking out two other stories that have degrees of similarity to this one;**

**The first is 'Drips and Drabbles' by MsFrizzle, a collection of short pieces that range from humorous to serious and often cover some complex topics quite well.**

**The second is 'DANNY PHANTOM Owner's Manual' by Nobody Famous, a hilarious summary of the character interactions and plots of much of the series.**

**Both can be found in my favourites list if you want to check them out.**

**But enough about my own inability to update my stories in a timely fashion, here's the next featuring Mr Lancer.**

**As I'm pretty sure his first name is never given, I have used Edward. I'm not sure if I had heard him called that somewhere (read: in another fic) before or not, but it seemed to fit better than any other name I could think of, so I've decided to use it here. If another author did originally come up with the name and takes offence at me using it, then please let me know and I will change it immediately; I mean no disrespect with my choice./AN]**

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><p><strong>Edward Lancer: Ally, Vice Principle of Casper High School and the representative of the Amity Park Schools for the Town Council. He is widely respected in the community for his teaching proficiency and enthusiasm for learning.<strong>

Despite the often low opinion of him carried by his students in the younger years, Edward Lancer is in fact highly regarded by most people in Amity Park. He represents the School Boards of Casper High, Casper Junior and Amity Elementary and he has done much to support and encourage education within Amity Park for years. As such, he was the obvious choice to approach when Danny wanted to ensure the continued safety of the schools after he graduated.

In his Senior Year, Danny realised that, upon graduating, he would no longer be present at school and therefore in a position to defend it when a ghost attacked. While it was true that a number of attacks at Casper High were a response to his presence there, the majority were simply because it had one of the highest concentrations of people in the smallest area, and with little in the way of defences because, of course, none of the schools had decided to invest any of their rather slim budgets into robust defensive systems since Phantom always showed up within seconds of the other ghost in order to fight it off.

A good solution proved elusive, and Danny went so far as to propose that he intentionally fail so that they could have another year to work out a viable plan. Of course, none of his friends or family would have let him do such a thing and talked him out of it pretty quickly. In the end, days of discussion resulted in a plan that would involve Team Phantom dedicating a substantial amount of man-power and resources to protecting the schools, but such a system would require the approval of the School Board.

Enter one Edward Lancer, Vice Principle.

The original plan had been to get Maddie or jazz to approach him with their plan, on the pre-text that they may not always be able to rely on Phantom to protect them. Jazz and Maddie were chosen as the other members of the Team were either his students or ghosts and either would have caused obvious problems. But while he accepted the rationale of better protecting the schools from Ghost attacks, he needed a better reason than the possibility that Phantom might suddenly stop doing what he had been doing for years up to this point.

The situation deteriorated when Maddie accidentally let it slip that Phantom himself had told them that he might not be able to protect the Schools anymore. At that point, Lancer naturally insisted on speaking to Phantom himself about the situation and Danny being Danny, agreed.

The problem was that Danny simply could not provide a viable excuse as to why the Town's Hero would suddenly be less able to respond to threats at the School after the current year graduated. After trying futilely to convince him for over two hours, Danny eventually conceded and revealed his dual identity.

And by revealed I mean he transformed right in front of his rather shocked teacher.

Upon processing this rather abrupt turn of events, Mr Lancer immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation and so overnight became a very strong proponent for better spectral security in and around the Schools.

The plan was approved within a month and preliminary work started two weeks after that, with eth Fenton's donating a substantial amount of equipment as well as some from the local manager of Axiom Labs.

Edward Lancer was also introduced to the rest of Team Phantom shortly after Danny's revelation. To say the least, he was shocked to find three more of his students spending much of their time engaging in regular combat against the spectral entities that often entered the town. Of course, this explained the downright strange behaviour of the students in question over the past couple of years.

As the project progressed, he became the unofficial liaison between the schools and Phantom and his allies (the majority of the human Team Members hide their identities so as not to draw unwanted attention to themselves or Danny), and even after the program had been implemented, he continued to act as the liaison between the community and Team Phantom, often representing them in Town Council meetings or presenting Danny's recommendations for better defences and protocols for dealing with Ghost Attacks.

There was one other, less obvious, thing he did however. He also ensured, through entirely legal means, that the school-aged members of Team Phantom passed their Senior Year with marks deserved of their abilities and without the baggage of their often numerous detentions and absences caused by their 'other commitments'. Specifically, Danny went from barely above a passing grade to a solid A average across most of his classes, with A+'s in Physics and Advanced Mathematics, as he devised a system that would allow Danny to prove he had sufficiently learned the Course Material, without being restricted by deadlines that he was rarely able to meet.

On the whole, Edward Lancer has been an invaluable ally for the Team when dealing with the inhabitants of Amity Park and he has done much to ensure that the Town as a whole is safer than it was when the attacks first started.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there's Lancer.<strong>

**I have no plans for an offshoot story about this, but if people are interested I will do it.**

**In other news, 'The Events That Shape Us' is nearing completion, so I should hopefully have the next chapter of this story up much sooner. The final ally chapter will have to wait until such a time as 'TETSU' is finished however as it's subject is the main focus of my last spin-off fic.**

**And for those who enjoyed the more technical chapters at the beginning of this story, I'm working on a separate piece dedicated to Danielle's unique situation that will continue in much the same vein, so keep an eye out for it.**

**Thanks again for reading and I hope you have enjoyed it so far. /AN]**


	15. Pandora

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: What's this, an update that didn't take two weeks!**

**Yeah, I decided to get this one out of the way so I can focus on the spin-off stories and the impending edit blitz of the various chapters posted so far.**

**So this chapter is about Pandora, a character who was introduced so late into the show that she barely has any time for characterisation. As such, this chapter is probably a little sparse. I also reworked the episode in which she appears, "Boxed Up Fury", in order to explain away some of the more ridiculous elements of it and make it that little bit more serious.**

**Regardless, I hope you enjoy the chapter and before you move on, allow me to provide you with another story recommendation;**

**'Call me maybe' by Panfan87, a very lever collection of very short (often sentence length) pieces of voicemail between characters that occur as the result of events in the various episodes. It's short, witty and very in character. As with the previous two, you can find it in my favourites tab if you don't want to search for it.**

**And now, on with the chapter.../AN]**

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><p><strong>Queen Pandora:<strong> Ally. Ruler of a large kingdom in the Ghost Zone and Guardian of the eponymous and legendary Pandora's Box, Pandora is an aggressive and intimidating warrior, while also being a shrewd negotiator and respected leader.

Danny's original meeting with Pandora was, as is often the case, under less than ideal situations. It involved a truly bizarre situation in which the Box Ghost had managed to acquire Pandora's Box and used it to unleash chaos and evil wherever he went, culminating in his (brief) semi-conquest of Amity Park.

It appears as though the Box is a highly compact and incredibly powerful Ectoplasmic generator, acting much like a Ghost Core. It feeds power into any ghost in contact with it, but the power generation can easily overwhelm weaker ghosts, causing random manifestations to arise that will increase with strength so long as the wielder of the Box is unable to effectively control its power. Alternatively, if effectively controlled, it would imbue the user with a substantial increase in ectoplasmic energy, thus greatly enhancing their actual power. For undetermined reasons, this power has, in every known case, been manifested in a negative manner; it is possible that the box itself actually contains the core and slight neural remnants of a very powerful and destructive ghost, which would explain the legend of the box containing the world's evil.

Pandora remains tight-lipped about the Box's origin.

Unable to manage the numerous manifestations, which were appearing as a variety of incredibly powerful creatures from Greek Mythology (whether this was an effect of the Box's origin or because of the Box Ghost's perception of it is unknown), Danny sought out Pandora herself in order to enlist her aid, along with a number of his other allies.

After the battle, Pandora neutralised the Box's manifestations and was intending to destroy the Box Ghost as punishment for his theft and the damage he had caused, but Danny intervened and sucked the much-maligned spectre into a Thermos, declaring that so long as the Box Ghost was in his territory (Amity Park), he would be dealt with by his rules. Pandora found this acceptable but warned that if the Box Ghost ever entered _her_ territory, she would not hesitate to utterly destroy him.

As he still shows up multiple times a week, it can be assumed that he has never been foolish enough to test that assertion.

Afterwards, she returned to her realm, leaving an open invitation for Danny and his allies to come visit her realm should the opportunity arise. Danny had intended to approach her about an alliance as soon as possible, but then Danielle's return and several other revelations and significant occurrences got in the way, delaying his planned trip by months.

When he was finally able to, Pandora readily accepted and, like Frostbite and Dora before her, pledged her full assistance to Danny's cause and has since been a substantial help in dealing with a few significant threats.

She is a proficient fighter in her own right, being a master of martial strategy and single combat, and her military forces are not insubstantial either and have proved to be exceptional for defensive combat as they make effective use of the traditional hoplite Phalanx, modified to account for ghost's inherently three dimensional mobility.

Pandora has also offered her kingdom as a safe haven for members of Team Phantom should they ever find themselves in need of sanctuary within the Ghost Zone or if they simply want a place to stay when undertaking a journey and pass by her realm.

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><p><strong>[AN: So there we are, only one more ally character to go and no-one has guessed it so far. I expect, or at least hope, it will be quite a surprise, but I guess we'll see.<strong>

**I really don't want to promise a timeframe for it as I'm still tossing up whether or not I want to post it before the first couple of pieces of it's spin-off story or not; so it could be quite soon, or quite a while away, I'm yet to decide. For what it's worth, your feedback will be of substantial influence, if only because I tend to be somewhat indecisive about this sort of thing.**

**Until next time... /AN]**


	16. Skulker

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And now I present to you, the last ally in this Handbook, Skulker!**

**While no-one managed to correctly guess that it would be him, there were some good ideas thrown around.**

**As you read the story, I expect you will see why I was tossing up about whether or not to wait in order to post this piece, but in the end I decided that I had delayed this story long enough and that you readers deserved to get this section of it out of the way, at long last.**

**I hope you all enjoy the chapter./AN]**

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><p><strong>Skulker: <strong>Extensive experience in tracking and capturing spectral subjects, as well as advanced knowledge of a variety of ectoplasm based weapons. He also possesses a high degree of technical expertise and a keen mind for weapons development. He is also a widely recognised and respected/feared inhabitant of the Ghost Zone, with connections reaching into areas beyond that which Team Phantom had previously visited.

Skulker…

Well to be honest, no-one (except Clockwork) saw this alliance coming.

It would be a grand understatement to say that there was some distrust for the first two months or so, but he has truly shown himself to be a loyal and incredibly valuable member of the team.

It all started when Vlad made an incredibly bold (read: stupid) move; he organised a substantial assault on Amity Park to act as a distraction so that Skulker could kidnap both Sam _and_ Danielle.

This did not end well for Vlad and it would have ended equally badly for Skulker had Clockwork not intervened. Apparently, it was _Clockwork_ who had originally hired Skulker to go after Danny, knowing full-well that he would never actually succeed in defeating Danny. He said it was necessary to ensure that Danny learned to control and fight with his powers and the persistence and threat that Skulker posed provided the ideal way to ensure that he had the opportunity to do so, in order to advance his abilities to the level that would allow him to effectively face foes like Vlad and Pariah Dark when they arrived on the scene.

Needless to say, a large portion of Team Phantom was more than a little displeased at this revelation, Danny just as much as anyone, but in time he recognised the wisdom of Clockwork's actions, inconvenient and often-times painful though they may have been.

This still left the question of what to do with Skulker.

As explained in the earlier chapter 'On the Nature of Ectoplasm' Ghost's are the result of intense neural activity creating an imprint on ectoplasm, which then forms a self-sustaining core, resulting in what we know as a ghost. The limited nature of this imprinting process means that almost all ghost's have very focused emotional and cognitive capacities, largely lacking in every facet except for their 'Obsession', the idea, concept or goal that the neural imprint is most based around. This Obsession is effectively hardwired into the mind of the ghost; in some cases it is the only thing they know, and it effectively means that they are largely enslaved to this concept.

On rare occasions, however, if a ghost's neural imprint was above a certain threshold of complexity, then it is possible for it to start evolving and expanding on its own, in a series of development patterns remarkably similar to what we see in the human brain. The expansion and increase in complexity eventually allows the ghost to access a full range of cognitive and emotional experiences, effectively meaning they are no longer ruled by their original focus. Clockwork and Dora are examples of the differences seen in these neurally complex ghosts as opposed to the Box Ghost or Walker, who are simplistic, from a neural point of view.

Such a substantial shift some type of trigger, a reason for this sudden explosion of neural activity, and the triggers vary substantially between ghosts, with some changing almost immediately while others take time, years in some cases.

Skulker is an example of the latter group; while he may not have been aware of it, Clockwork was. The beginning of his change began sometime after the fifth time Danny defeated him; apparently the concept of failure spurred something in his mind to action, resulting in the beginning of neural growth, and effect which eventually began to snowball as more and more experiences and emotions became available to him.

The final trigger was seeing Danny _truly_ angry.

It was a sight no-one who was present that day would ever forget, Skulker least of all as he fully realised exactly what he had been inviting with his persistent attacks on the halfa and how easily Danny could have destroyed him during any number of their fights.

One week after the incident, he approached Danny at his home with no weapons and no suit and effectively offered whatever assistance he could provide to Danny in order to attempt to make up for his previous actions. Danny was obviously sceptical but after some thought (and another intervention by Clockwork), he agreed to let him have a trial run as part of the Team.

The first week was rough and the second week wasn't much better as the Team's lack of trust in Skulker's good intentions mixed with Skulker's own lack of experience in fighting as part of a team. Unsurprisingly, the results were chaotic at first, but as Danny learned to make use of Skulker's unique talents and Skulker got a better sense for how to fight together with and support the rest of the team, the results began to improve rapidly.

Skulker has actually become one of the go-to members of Team Phantom whenever there is a substantial ghost incursion and Danny needs some assistance. Equally, he is by-far-and-away the best tracker and hunter on the team, his decades of experience showing clearly in this field, and his knowledge of experimental ecto-weapons exceeded even that of the elder Fenton's, rapidly building on their ideas and incorporating his own vast experience in to the design of the last two generations of ghost-fighting weapons used by Team Phantom.

It was also soon discovered that Skulker was widely respected within the Ghost Zone, as he truly was the 'Greatest Hunter' in the entire Zone, like he had often claimed. Skulker's switch in allegiance also had the unintended consequence of causing Ember to limit her 'adventures' in the human realm to largely non-destructive sight-seeing, which Danny had long-ago come to accept from the ghosts, so long as they didn't do anything that would necessitate his intervention.

Perhaps the most noticeable, and unexpected, change was that soon after officially joining the team, Skulker no longer had to rely on his exo-skeleton to project the image he wanted. According to Clockwork, the physical manifestation of the shift towards neural complexity is the ability for a ghost to exert far greater control over its form than would have been possible before, as they are no longer restricted by their imprint, though they still tend to remain influenced by it. As such, Skulker lost his minute, spheroid form and took on the general appearance of his suits; tall, broad and imposing.

This lack of reliance on technology gave Skulker an even greater level of flexibility than his suit had ever afforded him, and after a month of design and proto-typing, he was able to re-work his armour concept into a usable system for his new form, giving the flexibility of a normal ghost with the technological advantages he had enjoyed previously.

While no-one would have ever thought Skulker would become an integral cog in the Team Phantom machine, he truly has and his continued efforts have been nothing but positive to this day.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there we are, the last friendly entry.<strong>

**The next chapter will cover Ghost Psychology (courtesy of Jazz), before dealing with a variety of enemies. These chapters are still a while off though, as I wish to finish 'The Events that Shape Us' before I start on the enemy sections. Feel free to send me requests for enemies that you would like to see covered, you'll probably think of some that I have forgotten or overlooked.**

**Oh, and I figured I should say this, if the disclaimer didn't make it clear enough, I don't make any claim to the theories and ideas presented in this story, if you (for some bizarre reason) wish to use them yourselves, then go for it. Some acknowledgement would be nice but it's hardly necessary, and if you do write anything using some of these concepts, then let me know as I'd love to see the direction that you take them in.**

**As usual, feedback is always greatly appreciated, and I hope you have enjoyed the story so far! /AN]**


	17. Spectral Psychology

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Here a little interlude before we start with the enemies, a random piece about how I see spectral psychology functioning.**

**To JadeKurosaki: Good to know that you like the segments so far, I've finished with allies at this point, any other characters not mentioned will either be gong to the enemy section or will not be touched on as neutral/minor threats, so Youngblood is unlikely to make an appearance and I'm not quite sure about Ember.**

** /AN]**

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><p><strong>Spectral Psychology:<strong>

Before we start dealing with the many hostile ghosts that Team Phantom have to deal with, it is important that you understand exactly how the psychology and ecto-neurology of most ghosts interact to form their observed behaviours, and how that can impact their reaction, if any, to external influences.

Included in this Handbook is an excerpt from an article produced by Jazz herself on the subject.

(It should be noted that the people of the Far Frozen are not included in this article, as Danny did not wish curious spectral scientists to attempt to seek them out and disturb their lives. Their origin and cognitive capabilities have therefore gone untested.)

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><p><strong>Spectral Psychology and the Genesis of Obsessive Behaviours in Ghosts:<strong>

**By Jasmine Fenton**

Early psychological studies on Ghost's were limited and rudimentary at best due to the weak nature of the ghost's that were first identified and captured. As such, ghosts were quickly written off as incredibly simplistic ectoplasmic being with little to no capacity for complex thought or emotive responses to stimuli; as a result most research was then directed towards their unique, ectoplasm based neurology.

This false assumption persisted until the successful attempt by the Dr's Fenton to produce a stable artificial portal that could connect to the Ghost Zone, at which time far more complex and powerful ghosts began to appear with regularity in the town of Amity Park, where the Portal was located. It eventually became evident that the long-held belief of ghosts as mindless, instinctive creatures with no emotional capabilities was wildly off the mark. While this is certainly true for a large number, and perhaps even the majority of ectoplasmic beings within the Ghost Zone, it is painfully inadequate if not outright false in the case of many others.

Current evidence suggests that there is a direct correlation with a ghost's physical manifestation and its cognitive and emotive capacities, with more complex ghosts manifesting themselves in increasingly more distinct and elaborate ways, often with a strong preference towards a human-like appearance (with some notable exceptions). These ghosts have shown themselves to be capable of high levels of complex thought, easily equivalent to that of a standard human adult, and they also display a noteworthy variety of emotions, though mostly trending towards the negative range of known emotive responses.

This appears to be a result of the neurological properties of ectoplasm and the processes by which ghosts are formed; both of which are discussed in-depth in other papers and so will not be restated here. Regardless of the processes that lead to the observed cognitive complexity in some ghosts, what is clear is that while many ghosts possess a far higher range of mental faculties than previously believed, they are generally stunted in some way, often with a severely limited repertoire of emotions and an intense focus on a single objective, to the detriment of everything else.

It is this that I wish to focus on in this paper, the origins and cause of the widely recognise 'Ghostly Obsession', and the apparent lack of such behaviours in some spectral entities.

In many ways, obsessive behaviour in ghosts manifests itself in the same way as in humans, but there is one important and fundamental difference; a human with obsessive tendencies has the neurological capacity to leave the obsession behind, but a ghost does not. The limited neurology of many ghosts means that they are actually entirely incapable of ignoring the object or behaviour of their obsession; everything they do, everything they think, everything that they perceive and experience _must_ pass through the lens of their obsession, there is not possible way for it not to thanks to the limitations inherent to their imprinted minds.

This limitation is also the cause of their often stunted emotional spectrum, as the capacity for a full emotional range was simply not captured effectively in the imprint, due to the often traumatic and sudden deaths that seem to be favoured in the creation of ghosts. As a result, the often unwaveringly negative and/or violent emotions and behaviours observed in ghosts is not in the least bit surprising, as they are actually incapable of experiencing any other emotions.

These facts make ghosts both potentially very dangerous and very predictable, their behaviour will not change from one day to another and their focus will remain on the same thing regardless of how many times they are encountered or over what time frame they are encountered.

However, this rule becomes less and less absolute as ghosts gain in complexity. Some have shown the capacity to learn and adapt strategies, while others have shown emotions not known in other ghosts, and it is unclear whether these observations are the result of a more complete imprint or if they have developed on their own. Both differences are still heavily influenced by the overwhelming nature of their obsession, but these ghosts appear to have a greater range of responses towards this obsessive goal, as though there is more capacity for critical thought available to them. Either way, they fit neatly on the chart of cognitive complexity compared to their physical complexity and power, indicating that the main limiting factor in a ghost's power capacity is its neural complexity and cognitive range.

The most intriguing ones are the few ghosts who appear to have a complete emotional range and show little to no traces of obsessive behaviour, behaving almost indistinguishably from an average human in any given circumstance. Ghosts in whom this behaviour has been observed are _extremely_ rare, and it raises serious questions as to whether these ghosts are the result of a complete or near-complete imprinting process, as it seems extraordinary to believe that a successful imprint of the human brain could be made in such as way. The only other option is that these ghosts are the end result of a process that allows their neural capabilities to expand and grow organically as the human brain does, creating new links and pathways as they experience and learn things. This also seems extraordinarily unlikely, but given the many unique properties of ectoplasm that are already known, it cannot be ruled out.

What can be stated with certainty, however, is that these ghosts possess the greatest levels of cognitive and psychological abilities seen in any ghost, as well as being by far and away the most powerful ectoplasmic entities encountered to date. The substantial jump in power seen in these ghosts leads me to conclude that the relationship between cognitive function and observable power is, in actuality, an exponential relationship, which further strengthens my hypothesis that it is the mental capabilities of a ghost that control its power.

Much more study is left to be done on this subject, particularly in the area of these apparently 'obsession-free' ghosts, but to accomplish this we must first move beyond the aged stereotype of ghosts being mindless and emotionless beings and accept the observable reality that ghosts can be just as complex as any human. Only then can real progress be made.

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><p><strong>[AN: To be frank, I'm not sure I really like this chapter; it feels like I used a lot of words to effectively say very little, so it is liable to change at some point when I go through and edit this story.<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed it, but if not I can certainly understand, and I can only hope that the next chapter will be more acceptable.**

**Thanks again for reading and for all of you that have followed, liked and reviewed this story. /AN]**


	18. Ecto-fauna

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And the first enemy section is here.**

**This one deal with a category rather than specifics, the animal based ghosts that I am referring to as ecto-fauna. ****/AN]**

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><p><strong>Ecto-fauna: <strong>A broad term used to refer to any complex, non- or semi-sentient ghost that appears to be derived from an animal. Low levels of intelligence in most cases, but potentially very aggressive and destructive. They show only rudimentary control of ectoplasmic powers, unlike the sapient ghosts.

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><p>These ghosts are among the most frequently encountered, which isn't surprising when you consider how numerous the combined animal species on this planet are and how long they have lived, and more importantly, died for. As a result, it is not uncommon for these ghosts to wander through Natural Portals or the Fenton Portal and enter the human realm.<p>

As a significant majority of these ghosts would have been derived from animals killed by a predator or in a similar fight-or-flight situation, their neural imprint reflects this; they are non-sentient and driven almost exclusively by this fight/flight response. While it means they do not plan or show signs of obsessive tendencies, it makes them very violent and unpredictable, which, when combined with their often imposing size and strength, can make them a serious threat to the civilian populous of Amity Park and to anyone fighting them.

One benefit of their neural simplicity is that they possess very limited control over ectoplasm and its unique properties, unlike most ghosts. It is not uncommon to see some of them flying or generating weak ecto-blasts, but it does not appear to be intentional or the result of a conscious decision.

The exception to these rules is the much rarer class of weakly or semi-sentient ecto-fauna. These ghosts are derived from relatively more intelligent species such as parrots, birds of prey, felines and, most commonly, octopi.

Octopi derived ghosts (often referred to as ectopi in the plural or an ectopus in the singular) represent a disproportionate level of ecto-fauna, which may be a result of their remarkable intelligence levels and very short life spans. These ghosts can be remarkably dangerous due to their many limbs and impressive strength, and their derivative's malleable structure and aquatic nature makes them naturally capable at utilising many of the unique abilities available to ghosts.

These semi-sentient ghosts have shown what has been interpreted as basic tactical planning and some control over the ectoplasmic abilities available to them. It is very rudimentary and far from the levels seen in human-derived, fully sapient ghosts, but it does make them rather more of a threat, especially as the beginnings of obsessive behaviours have been observed in them.

All in all, while the various ecto-fauna are not a threat in the same league as the more humanoid ghosts, they should never be ignored or dismissed as they have the potential to cause serious harm or death if you are not careful.

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><p><strong>[AN: So not a large chapter, but there really isn't a lot to be said about these guys, in my opinion.<strong>

**The next chapters will deal with specific foes, so if you have any suggestions, then I'd love to hear them. I have some that I know I will do, but there are others I'm sure I've forgotten or haven't considered.**

**Thanks for reading! /AN]**


	19. The Box Ghost

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Ah the Box Ghost, you just knew he was going to get some sort of mention. **

**So I figured 'Why not let him go first?'**

**Also, I have another story recommendation:**

**'Stories of the Dead' by Clockwork's Apprentice, a collection of stories giving possible ways that each of the major ghosts in the series could have died and what their lives were like beforehand. There are some really interesting ideas on display, and I found it well worth the read. As usual, it can be found in my favourites list or by searching the for the title/author.**

**As always, I hope you enjoy! ****/AN]**

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><p><strong>T<strong>**he Box Ghost:**

Possibly the only ghost in Amity Park that could compare with Phantom's ubiquity, we've included him in this list not because he represents a substantial threat presently, but because the remarkable regularity of his appearances warrants some degree of recognition.

The Box Ghost, as his name implies, is completely obsessed with boxes. To this end, he actually displays a substantial amount of power in his efforts to control and collect a variety of square containers. He demonstrates an advanced mastery of tele-ectokinesis, a rare and powerful extension to ghost's inherent ectokinetic capabilities that allows them to manipulate ectoplasm, and through that, other objects as well, from a distance. It is this advanced form of ectokinesis that allows powerful ghosts such as Danny, Clockwork and Vlad to Duplicate and guide their ectoplasmic attacks from a distance.

The fact that the Box Ghost has this capacity, and has clearly mastered it, if his abnormal dexterity in manipulating boxes and their contents is anything to go by, indicates that he is actually capable of being far more powerful than he is currently. It is likely that his obsession is the only limiting factor; so long as he remains fixated on boxes to the exclusion of everything else then he will never be able to fully access or utilise his powers.

It should be noted that over the course of the years he has been observed, there appears to have been slow shift in his priorities, manifesting itself as an increasing desire to be recognised as a threat, or at least to be considered somewhat intimidating. This is likely caused by perceived social pressures and his interpretation of what it means to be a ghost; and it probably isn't helped by the fact that both the citizens of Amity Park and the inhabitants of the Ghost Zone roundly dismiss him as even a minor threat.

This gradual shift indicates that his neural imprint is starting to expand and it may soon reach a point of self-sustained growth, after which point his obsession would cease to be a true obsession and become more of an interest. It would also mean that the main regulator on his power growth would be removed, potentially resulting in a notable risk increase when his regularity of appearance is factored in.

At the moment he is little more than an annoyance, but he should be observed carefully in coming years; the last thing we need is to be caught unprepared by the _Box Ghost_…

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><p><strong>[AN: Okay, so it's short, but it's the box Ghost! What is there to really say about him?<strong>

**The next chapter should be up sooner than normal in order to make up for the brevity of this chapter.**

**I'm always looking for feedback, so if you have anything to say about this story, please don't hesitate to let me know.**

**And if you have any enemies you want to see, tell me and I'll see what I can do, if they fit in with the theme I'm aiming for then I can guarantee they'll make it in here somehow.**

**Thanks for reading! /AN]**


	20. Desiree

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And here's the next enemy.**

**Again, it's somewhat short, but I suspect that will be par for the course for a lot of these segments, as it was for the allies.**

**Also, I forgot to mention this last time, but this story has gotten over 5 000 views, more than twice as many as any other story that I've written, and it's cleared 50 reviews two chapter ago, which is ridiculous so thank you readers for continually coming back to this story! ****/AN]**

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><p>Desiree is a strange one. Enimgatic at the best of times, she's not directly aggressive, but enjoys granting, and then twisting, wishes that people (and at times, other ghosts) make.<p>

And this can result in some serious problems.

The really bizarre thing about it is that she should be _incredibly_ powerful, yet she never uses her powers directly for her own benefit.

We have seen her conjure objects that simply don't exist in our reality, create inter-dimensional portals, and even switch time-streams at will. By rights, she should be among the most powerful ghosts ever encountered, yet she remains an almost trivial threat in direct combat, only really becoming a problem if someone is careless about throwing words around.

The best explanation we have for this is that she is much like the Box Ghost; limited by her obsession. It seems that she cannot comprehend the concept of using her powers to do anything other than grant other people's wishes, while also twisting them viciously; whether out of spite or her own amusement, we can't be sure.

Clockwork has informed us that he has needed to 'fix' messes created by her on more than one occasion, and that her behaviour has remained consistent for the centuries that she has existed, which seems to indicate that she is not anywhere near overcoming her obsession, and indeed, she may never.

This may be for the best as we have no way of knowing exactly how she would act if her own limitations were no longer in place. She could remain quite neutral, neither friendly or malevolent, but with her power capacity, anything she did would have to be very closely monitored.

So long as she remains oblivious to her own power, she will remain relatively minor threat, but Jazz has been assigned to keep track of her behavioural patterns just in case she shows signs of neural growth.

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><p><strong>[AN: We start to get to the more threatening enemies soon, so if you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them.<strong>

**Thanks again for reading and I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. /AN]**


	21. Spectra and Bertrand

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Here's the latest enemy chapter, and it's a duo!**

**I'm going to be focusing mainly on ghosts that either show up and foes regularly (like Technus), or have the potential to be major threats should they ever show up again (Vortex, Undergrowth etc.). I'll also have a special section for those 'Ultimate' tier enemies (no prizes for guessing who they are).**

**And a shameless plug on my behalf this time; if you like this story and then you may be interested by my latest piece 'When is a Clone not a Clone?' also known as the 'Danielle Codex' that I hinted at in a couple of chapters some time ago. Basically, it's a piece designed to explain my answers to the unique question that is Danielle and it features lots of jargon, head-canon and random theories, just like this story!**

**Thanks again for reading, and I hope you enjoy the chapter./AN]**

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><p><strong>Spectra and Bertrand:<strong>

Spectra and Bertrand are rare examples of ghosts that obtain most of their power from _external_ sources, rather than internal generation from their cores. They still do posses an ectoplasmic core, like all ghosts, but they are weak generators. Instead, their cores seem to be geared towards absorbing energy from a source and storing it.

Spectra is an emotiphage, and she particularly loves despair and depression. This is because of how common it is for individual experiencing these emotions to become trapped in a spiral of ever-increasing feelings of despair, which in turn provides her with a potent and regular energy source, as opposed to the ephemeral and situational nature of other emotions. They are also easy emotions to generate in people, particularly youth, and this makes them her favourite target.

Bertrand, on the other hand, is more of a generalist, siphoning stray ectoplasmic energy from any source he can find. As a result, it's not surprising he associates himself so closely with Spectra as her method of 'feeding' is messy and he can easily pick up on the overflow. He can also parasitise of other ghosts if they lack control over their own energy production, making him potentially dangerous in drawn out fights. It may also explain his shape-shifting nature, as they reflect his opportunistic mind-set and ability to change himself to suit his environment.

Spectra is an example of a ghost that has progressed past her obsessive block, but she still chooses to cling to it for a sense of purpose, which, unfortunately for others, entirely revolves around her own desire for beauty and perfection.

In many ways, this makes her similar to Vlad; neither of them is limited by an obsession, yet they are slaves to one none-the-less.

This, of course, makes her incredibly dangerous to fight, as she is far more effective and embedding herself in a population, remaining unnoticed and gaining power until she is a substantial threat. While she will never be physically imposing or a substantial threat in a direct fight, she is exceptional at manipulating her opponent, crushing their resolve and confidence, and then gaining strength from the misery she has inflicted on them; another thing she has in common with Vlad.

Where she acquired her disturbingly comprehensive grasp of psychology from is unknown; she either acquired a astonishingly complete neural imprint from her living counterpart after her death, or she learned it after coming into existence, which is supported by how well known she seemed to be when she posed as the Casper High Counsellor, indicating that she has been learning and gathering power for decades, blending into whatever population she has found herself in and feeding of their varied emotions.

Precisely where Bertrand comes into the picture is hard to tell, but it seems he has been her assistant/partner for years, and the current theory is that they are two examples of ghosts that did not form in the Ghost Zone, but instead formed in the Human Realm. This may also explain their strangely weak cores, since ectoplasm is substantially less common here and there would not have been enough for proper core formation.

But this is largely conjecture and very hard to prove one way or the other is neither of them is willing to talk, which they're not.

Overall, these two are 'slow-burn' ghosts; the damage they cause is done slowly and over time and far less dramatically than someone like Vortex, but this does not mean they can be dismissed as threats. In fact, their influence and power grow exponentially, and since they rarely announce themselves with any degree of fanfare now, they can often latch onto an area or person for days before we hear anything about it.

It is mental wounds that are the hardest to treat and take the longest to heal, and that's really what they specialise at inflicting. Every day they have the chance to build their power and inflict more pain and misery on someone is one day to many, and they should be dealt with as a highest priority.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you are, I hope you found it interesting. <strong>

**If any of you were wondering, emotiphage is a term I use to describe something that feeds on emotions; emoti- referring to emotions and -phage being derived from Greek and translating roughly as "Thing that devours".**

**Thanks again for reading, and I always like to hear your feedback./AN]**


	22. Walker

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And the next chapter is finally here, sorry about the delay.**

**Enjoy! /AN]**

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><p><strong>Walker:<strong>

Walker is feared and loathed in equal measure by the inhabitants of the Ghost Zone, being one of the most violently obsessive ghosts currently known.

The real problem, of course, is that he has the power and back-up to act on his obsessive need to control others. His Prison is one of the largest and most heavily populated Lairs currently known, though most of its inhabitants have no wish to be there.

With no overriding government or social cohesiveness in the Ghost Zone, its inhabitants are largely left to their own devices, the Observants only stepping in if something threatens them personally. As such, most ghosts despise Walker and his arbitrary rules. It wouldn't be so bad if he limited his enforcement of those rules to his own domain, but his obsessive nature demands that _everyone_ follows _his_ rules.

And at some point, he developed the strength and gained the allegiance of enough ghosts to make that twisted dream a reality.

Since then, he has been slowly expanding his influence, bringing more and more of the region around his Prison Complex under his authority, while his domain expands to contain the ever-growing number of prisoners it holds.

On a more balanced note, many of his laws are actually quite reasonable, and he can be credited with keeping that region of the Zone reasonably stable due to his presence. Of course, this is not an endorsement of his methods in the slightest, as there is no hint of due process and the sentences are brutal for a sentient being; 2000 years of imprisonment for a minor infringement is too much, even if ghosts are functionally immortal.

This doesn't even mention the rumours of torture of sadistry exhibited by Walker and some of his guards.

Unsurprisingly, Danny has been firmly in his cross-hairs ever since they first crossed paths. Danny is wanted for a not-insubstantial list of alleged felonies and broken rules, most of which may as well have been made up on the spot. And that's not even mentioning the numerous prison breaks Danny has orchestrated, both internally and externally. This habit of his has only inflamed Walker's hatred of him even more.

Danny is also one of the few ghosts that Walker has been known to go out actively hunting for (the other being Wulf). Walker actually invaded Amity Park along with a number of his guards, and by overshadowing the previous Mayor, convinced the rest of the Town that Phantom was, in fact, evil and bent on their destruction.

This event cast a long shadow on his reputation, one that has yet to pass, despite numerous attempts to explain the real reasons behind the events.

The only thing that has so far prevented Walker from attempting to capture Danny again is the simple fact that he is far too powerful for Walker to subdue or contain. This has not stopped him from actively targeting his allies inside the Zone, so be mindful of that fact if you need to go anywhere near Walker's domain.

While Danny and the rest of the Team will do everything in its power to free any of our allies and friends that he captures, Walker certainly has a numerical advantage, plus knowledge of the terrain and the fact that he knows Danny will have to come to him, making traps and ambushes inevitable.

So just try not to get captured, alright?

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you go, Walker. Not much to say about him really, he's a bit mundane compared to some of the other villains.<strong>

**Technus is up next, then we get to deal with the _real_ villains.**

**Thanks for reading. /AN]**


	23. Technus

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And here we are, the last of the 'Moderate threat' Ghosts.**

**I hope you find it of interest. /AN]**

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><p><strong>Nicolai Technus:<strong>

Something of an anomaly, Technus appears to possess a dual obsession, which actually makes him quite dangerous.

Forgoing the traditional physical manifestations that most ghosts utilise, he has instead opted for a far more malleable form, and this fits with his love of possessing electronic items. In many ways, his powers are similar to the Box Ghost, advanced, but Tele-ectokinesis limited in scope by his obsessive tendencies towards electronics. Of course, his scope is much broader as there is disturbingly little these days that does not run off electricity or incorporate it in some way.

This is the first part of what makes him so dangerous; his obsession with technology is only rivalled by his knowledge of it, which allows him to use what he can control to devastating effect. It also makes the Thermos a risky proposition if it is not used carefully.

This alone would be enough to make him a reasonable threat, and he has proved to be, at times, one of the more challenging foes Team Phantom has ever had to fight, but there is also his _second _obsession.

Technus seeks recognition and power. He is one of the few ghosts encountered that actually want to rule the world (most have far more mundane or localised goals). Considering how heavily most of the world relies on technology these days, combined with his ability to infiltrate any technology, means he also one of the few who could actually succeed in conquering the world.

Western Military technology has been trending towards an integrated, semi-automated Combat Force for decades now; things like the Land-Warrior System, GPS guided ordinance and the rapid growth in UAV's for surveillance and the delivery of precision munitions are examples of this.

And unsurprisingly, none of the military's cyber defences would do anything to slow Technus down, so if he were to ever establish himself into even a fraction of their systems, it could become a very big problem, very quickly.

Of course, this obsession for recognition also causes some of his most gaping weaknesses; namely his pride and his Megalomania.

Technus wants everyone else to recognise his genius, so he is prone to explain his entire scheme in painful detail whenever he gets the chance, this has the dual benefit of telling us exactly what we need to know to stop his plan, while also keeping him distracted and stationary long enough for Danny to try and take him out.

In the event that fails though, he can always be goaded back into combat with a few quips at his expense. Technus' ego and pride are astronomical and so it has proven very easy to tempt him into combat, keeping him distracted and letting Team Phantom do what we do best.

As a result, Technus has never fully eventuated any of his plans, though he has come uncomfortably close on a few occasions. So long as he remains restricted by is obsessive duopoly, he will remain a moderate but containable threat.

And side-not that might be of interest, he refers to himself as Nicolai Technus, which seems to be a play on the name Nicola Tesla, the man often credited as the 'Father of Electricity'. Whether this is a joke of sorts on his part, or if he actually believes himself to be linked to Tesla is unknown, but it's certainly food for thought.

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><p><strong>[AN: And that's my view on Technus. I wanted to step away from the comic but slightly ridiculous, over the top nature that he shows in the series.<strong>

**I'm curious to know what you think.**

**It's the big guys next, I'm sure you can guess who they will be. I have six more planned, with Vlad being the last one.**

**Is there anything else you would want to see covered in this handbook? if so , tell me now and I'll see what I can do.**

**Thanks again! /AN]**


	24. The 'Extreme Threat' Classification

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Okay, so first of all, I would like to apologise for the excessive delay. it was a product of technical difficulties, real life and Writer's Block.**

**The first two are self-explanatory, but as for the Writer's block, I wanted to add a lot more detail to the last few ghosts due to how massively powerful they are, but that led quickly led to me stalling in my writing process. **

**On the plus side, I remembered another very powerful ghost that I had forgot to include previously.**

**On the down side, I still haven't _quite_ finished the next chapter (Vortex).**

**But I figured two weeks was far to long without an update, so here is my meagre offering in the mean time./AN]**

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><p><strong>The 'Extreme Threat' Classification:<strong>

Before we deal with the next few chapters, it is important to understand exactly how serious a threat these ghosts are.

Tucker created a loose classification system to categorise hostiles ghosts when Team Phantom was just starting out, and it would classify ghosts into one of five categories; Mild/Non-threat, Low Threat, Moderate Threat, High Threat and Extreme Threat.

Over time, this system was discarded as it became clear that some ghosts didn't easily fit into the lower tiers, as their threat levels changed wildly based on emotional and situational forces, often outside their own control. This is why there was no mention of the system in the previous entries.

However, one category is still used and it is absolutely imperative that all members of the team are well-versed in the protocols for dealing with these ghosts.

This is, of course, referring to ghosts in the 'Extreme Threat' Category.

To be put into this category, a ghost must show evidence of at least three of the following behaviours or abilities:

1) They are capable of wide-ranging, comprehensive destruction.

2) They are capable of causing high levels of social disturbance.

3) They show a willingness to kill to accomplish their goals.

4) They show a desire to kill, purely for pleasure.

5) They possess a high degree of cognitive ability, unimpeded by their obsession.

6) They are free of their obsession and have complete mental faculty.

7) They show strong tactical and strategic capabilities.

A ghost that showcases any of the above behaviours can automatically be deemed to be at least high risk, and many of the previously mentioned ghosts would fit the bill, but any one that showcases three or more _has _to be considered an Extreme Threat and must be _immediately_ referred to Danny as a matter of primary importance; he really is the only one with the capabilities to take them on.

Over the years, Team Phantom has only encountered a handful of ghosts that could be classified as 'Extreme Threat', but all of the resulting fights were life-threatening, both to Danny and to the citizens of Amity Park at large. Casualties are often high, and there have even been fatalities as a result of some of these ghost's attacks.

The following seven entries will deal with these extremely dangerous foes and I implore you to carefully read everything provided about them, because if the day comes when we ever have to fight them again, then we will need everything in our arsenal and any mistake could be lethal.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you are, a rough prelude to the next chapters, if you will.<strong>

**I will attempt to get the next chapter up as soon as I can, but I suspect that future updates will probably be coming weekly at best, as I wish to take a bit more time with them and also finish up a few of my other stories/get started on my next round of DP stories that come after 'The Events That Shape Us'.**

**So, thank you all for reading, and I offer my apologies once more. /AN]**


	25. Vortex

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Heh, yeah... sorry guys.**

**Flu bugs aren't a lot of fun, and considering I do most of my writing around midnight when my body was demanding sleep, I haven't really had the opportunity do much writing this week.**

**Still, here's Vortex. The Chapter turned out shorter than I would have liked, but I think I captured the idea well enough.**

**I hope you enjoy./AN]**

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><p>Vortex is something of an enigma. He is an incredibly powerful ghost, with almost limitless control over weather systems.<p>

This is rather odd, considering the Ghost Zone has no natural weather, or climate for that matter. Any weather is either a result of the area's inhabitants willing it into existence as part of their Lair, or it comes from a natural portal connected to the Human Realm.

So precisely how or why Vortex is so connected to weather is unknown. The most likely explanation is that whatever his obsession used to be revolved around it in some way shape or form.

However, the possibility exists that he is not a human-derived ghost, but is actually a natural creation of the Ghost Zone. There's no hard proof as to the existence of this category of ghosts yet (it seems to be one of the secrets of the Zone that aren't to be shared freely), but there is mounting evidence that would support the theory.

If this is the case, then it would mean that Vortex is likely very old and it would explain his extreme levels of power, as he would be a manifestation derived from the very essence of the Ghost Zone itself.

He is also one of the few ghosts to have made it onto the Observants' 'Watch' list, presumably for causing some substantial disruption in the past; and it has to be _very_ large to register on the Observants' radar. They don't tend to take action unless it is absolutely required, but evidently Vortex did something that fit into that category, and that should only serve to reinforce the potential threat he can be.

When we originally encountered him, Vlad had freed him and was manipulating him for his own ends (surprise, surprise), but Vortex soon broke free of whatever hold Vlad had over him and, after soundly defeating both Vlad and Danny, began wreaking havoc across much of the surrounding states with intense and violent weather systems ranging from blistering Heatwaves to Mega-Storms and Category 5 Tornadoes.

Eighty seven people lost their lives and millions of dollars in property damage was caused in the brief period of time he was free. It was really only a fluke that enabled Danny to defeat him in the end, even with the assistance of Team Phantom and the assorted technologies at their disposal.

He had been returned to the custody of the Observants, but rumour has it that he has escaped again, as whatever artefact allowed the Observants to contain him must have been destroyed when Vlad freed him.

It is likely he is planning to return to the Human realm and continue his offensive, so he remains a very high priority for information-gathering and intelligence.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you are, the first of the seriously dangerous ghosts.<strong>

**And points to JadeKurosaki for correctly guessing the remaining ghosts; Nocturne is up next and I'll aim to have his chapter uploaded around a similar time next week.**

**Thanks again for reading! /AN]**


	26. Nocturne

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And here's the next one, Nocturne. Enjoy!****/AN]**

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><p>Nocturne is a curious foe. He's a powerful emotiphage, but he augments his own abilities with the substantial use of technology, in direct contrast to most innately powerful ghosts.<p>

His powers all revolve around sleep, specifically intense periods of neural activity found during the main segments of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) Sleep.

In other words, dreams.

As an emotiphage, he draws most of his power from emitted neural energy, but unlike most emotiphages, he does not seek to generate fear or despair in his targets, instead, he induces REM sleep in his victim and then holds them there, manipulating their subconscious and generating a steady stream of pleasant dreams.

While this may not sound particularly threatening, it is actually extremely insidious. The human body begins to wither and decay if it is not used for long periods of time and REM sleep is a surprisingly taxing process to maintain. And since sleeping individuals don't eat or drink, they will eventually perish, often in less than a week.

Of course, REM sleep normally resolves itself naturally during sleep and it is the main portion that results in you feeling well rested afterwards; without it, sleeping would be rather ineffective. But Nocturne weakly overshadows his victims and holds them in this state. Since it is only a weak hold, a surge of adrenaline, such as from a nightmare or a sudden fright, is enough to break out of the induced state, but this is why he ensures all dreams are positive; it ensures you can never wake yourself up.

Additionally, he also commands a veritable army of simplistic ghosts known as 'Sleepwalkers'. These creatures are relatively weak and show no signs of independent thought, but what they lack in ability, they make up for in numbers. Nocturne's ability to manifest these creatures appears to be directly linked to how much energy he is receiving, and he uses them to gather more victims and protect himself, rarely fighting personally. We think they may actually be manifestations of his previous victims, weak and powerless without him to direct them; if so then the implications are… unpleasant, to say the least, based on their sheer numbers.

When he first attacked Amity Park, he came with a complex array of receivers and transmitters that allowed him to use his abilities to affect the entire town's populace in one go, while also protecting the affected individuals from outside interference.

It seems, however, that he spread his powers slightly to thin. He had captured and moved Danny deep into the Ghost Zone after inducing the Dream State, but that distance and the strain of the focus required to manipulate the rest of the town allowed a slip of control that forced Danny out of that state and allowed him to eventually defeat Nocturne, with our help.

We got rather lucky that time, and Nocturne hasn't tried a similar attack again, but when people started showing up at Amity General in a near-comatose state with no obvious cause, we quickly discovered Nocturne had returned with a more subtle plan. We now keep a careful watch for similar reports in other cities and countries, just in case he tries to pick a new feeding ground.

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><p><strong>[AN: Not much to say really, I'm trying to stick as close to weekly updates as possible, but there's always stuff that gets in the way. It's also limiting my ability to reply to Reviews, so if I take a while or miss you completely, please accept my apologies, it's not intentional.<strong>

**Thank you once again and I hope you continue to enjoy the chapters. /AN]**


	27. Undergrowth

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And here you are, the next chapter.**

**Thanks again to all of you who take the time to read and review, it's a huge encouragement./AN]**

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><p>Undergrowth is actually holds the record for the length of time ruling Amity Park, beating out even Pariah Dark. While Pariah's reign lasted barely four days, Undergrowth's conquest lasted over a fortnight. He also remains a rather personal enemy for Danny, as his occupation involved controlling the entire population of Amity Park, including his friends and family. Even worse, he specifically selected Sam to be his 'Daughter', the avatar by which he communicated and enforced his will. This meant he had to fight her to get to Undergrowth.<p>

Needless to say, Danny was _pissed_ by the time he reached the bizarre ghost.

Thankfully, none of the victims of Undergrowth's control remember anything about those two weeks, though Sam occasionally remembers scattered events from her time under his control, possibly as a result of the more direct link that she suffered. These memory flashes appear to coincide with erratic ectoplasmic energy readings originating from _her_; we don't know exactly what that means but the Fenton's have some theories, but that's all they'll say on the matter.

Similar to Vortex, Undergrowth appears to be ancient and powerful; a manifestation of flora in a dimension that lacks it. While such ghosts are largely a mystery to us, we are learning more every time we encounter them, which is, thankfully, a very rare occasion.

Undergrowth possesses a curious affinity with plant-life, able to influence and manipulate it as it sees fit; or at least, that's what it seems like. We are still unsure if the plants he commanded were normal plants forced to undergo rapid growth and mutation in a similar way to a halfa's healing abilities, or if they were simply ectoplasmic manifestations that looked like plants, and were simply an extension of Undergrowth himself. This would help explain why the flora around Amity Park seemed to revert almost immediately upon his defeat, or at least most of it. It is also quite possible that it is a combination of the two.

In additions to this, Undergrowth posses one of the most comprehensive and widespread capacities for overshadowing seen in any ghost, greater than even Nocturne. In many ways it is actually very rudimentary, but no one would doubt its effectiveness. He infiltrates his target's mind by connecting them to an appendage now colloquially referred to as a 'Mind-Vine'. This relatively small appendage attaches itself to the host at the base of the skull, allowing Undergrowth to hijack the host's central nervous system. Once the vine is connected, it cannot be removed without causing irreparable neurological damage to the host, unless Undergrowth himself releases his hold on the target.

Sam appeared to have been affected by a far more powerful 'Primary' variant, which allowed Undergrowth to channel ectoplasmic energy through her, effectively giving her body access to ghost powers while she was connected. In fact, based off Danny's description, she seems to have shared many physiological similarities with known Halfas during her enthrallment.

This effectively means that once Undergrowth is established, he is very hard to dislodge, unless you can provide a hard counter for him.

Like many ghosts, Undergrowth's greatest strength is also his greatest weakness; his resilient ectoplasmic structure relies on his core being kept at a stable temperature, so he keeps it below the surface in pseudo-roots, in order to decentralise his power generation and protect the vulnerable cores without sacrificing ectoplasm that could be used to protect his main form. This renders him all-but-immune to traditional anti-spectral combat, as the inability to reach his core basically renders him immune to energy weapons and his form is to tough for standard ectoplasm based weaponry to do more than the most superficial damage, which he rapidly heals.

Of course, this leaves his core wide open to attack, but its position beneath the soil prevents projectile and line-of-sight weapons from being any use.

As it turned out, Danny himself was the key.

Danny's ice-core allows him to force water into a frozen state, and bind it that way with ectoplasm, preventing it from melting in even the highest temperatures, unless ectoplasmic energy is applied to it in sufficient quantities.

In effect, he is cryokinetic.

And since this ice is properly frozen (ie: molecules in a largely immobile, de-energised state due to a lack of energy/heat), it is remarkably cold and more than capable of expanding out through the ground, freezing the large amounts of water found in soil as it goes.

This is exactly what Danny ended up doing in the end, after spending a fortnight with Frostbite in an effort to control his newly active ice-core. The end result was that Undergrowth was no longer able to generate the immense amounts of power he had previously, after which point he became trivial to defeat, ending his control over the town.

Of course, Undergrowth did substantial damage while he was unopposed, causing widespread destruction within the town centre with the sudden, explosive plant growth he initiated. More disturbingly, he appears to have started a regular 'fertilising' regime in which he would slaughter one or two of his thralls as required in order to provide nutrition to the rapidly growing plants. He started with the elderly inhabitants of Amity Park, presumably because they would be the least useful to him at the time or into the future. So far, remains from six victims have been found, though the last two have only been found in the years since his attack, so there may be more yet to be found.

Needless to say, Undergrowth is a massive threat. If there is any sign of him, either Danny or Danielle must be told immediately, preferably both of them. Failing that, contact must be made with Frostbite and the Far Frozen as soon as possible.

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><p><strong>[AN: As you can see, this chapter is slightly more substantial than its predecessors. This is what I've been aiming for but rarely reaching with the others, so I make no promises that this type of length will continue.<strong>

**Also, I have taken some slight liberties with timespan for this story, and I will make slight alterations to the plot as required, but, and this is true for all of my stories, I will endeavour to keep the original plot as much as possible. Any alterations are because I believe they were required to ensure the overall plot continued to flow in a concessive manner and/or so that the tone fits with the slightly more mature interpretation of this story-group.**

**Thanks for reading once again! /AN]**


	28. Fright Knight

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Well what do you know, another chapter, and one of a decent length!**

**I just had some cool ideas for this one running around in my head so it gave me a lot to put down and this is the result, I hope you enjoy it./AN]**

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><p><strong><span>Note:<span> ****This dossier contains redacted information, which will be made available if/when circumstances require it.**

While not as directly powerful as the other ghosts in this category, Fright knight is one of the most balanced.

Vortex, Nocturne and Undergrowth all posses great power, but at the expense of large and exploitable weaknesses; Fright Knight, however, does not. In fact, he is one of the brutally effective fighters yet encountered, second only to Pariah Dark in terms of strength, durability and fighting prowess.

While he lacks the large-scale destructive capability of many of the other 'Extreme Threat' ghosts, he makes up for it in his single-minded dedication to combat, being able to easily overcome Danny when he was first encountered and he still remains a substantial threat today, being able to fight Danny to a standstill or simultaneously combat four to five members of Team Phantom.

Fright Knight rarely shows up without his stead, Nightmare, either. The best way to describe Nightmare would be as a demonic Pegasus and while he offers little in the way of combat utility seeing as how Fright Knight can fly, teleport and manoeuvre just fine without the horse, the psychological impact of seeing the two of them charging down a street should not be discounted.

This is important as, unlike most ghosts, Fright Knight appears to posses both a powerful ectoplasmic core _and_ weak emotiphagic properties. As per his name, he thrives of the fear of others, and everything from his appearance to his combat style is designed to intimidate and terrify his opponents.

In addition to his already formidable strength, Fright Knight posses one of the most unique and disturbing artefacts we've come across; the Soul Shredder. The Fright Knight wields this blade with precision and skill, absorbing (for want of a better term) anyone the blade comes into contact with (except Fright Knight himself) and forcing them into a unique state in which they are terrorised by their worst fears and phobias.

There's some debate as to whether or not it sends them into an alternate dimension, separate from the human and ghost realms, or if it simply traps them inside the sword in a method similar to the Fenton Thermos, except that it works on all matter, not just ectoplasm. Either way, this sword is brutally effective at dealing with anyone that stands in its master's way, removing them from the fight and rendering them catatonic in terror if left under its influence long enough.

Additionally, the Soul Shredder is capable of generating an 'ectoplasmic storm'. We really have no idea how this works exactly, but we think the sword contains enough power to warp the fabric of space-time enough to allow portions of the Ghost Zone to leak through. This basically results in ectoplasm and normal matter interacting on a broad scale, a very bad thing for the humans in the area as the ectoplasm reacts to neural energy surrounding it and manifests itself around the emotions it 'feels'. Unsurprisingly, this resulted in terrifying manifestations afflicting the town until the Fright Knight could finally be stopped.

When we first defeated him, a third of his victims were rendered catatonic and unresponsive until EMT's could retrieve them, ten still undergo psychotherapy for the trauma they experienced, and other two dozen now suffer from PTSD and one still remains comatose at the time of writing, three years later.

Do not underestimate the threat he poses, both to yourselves and to the citizens of Amity Park that he encounters.

Despite his obvious power, Fright Knight seems to default to subservience, seeking out Ghosts of greater power and working for them. He did this first with Pariah Dark and then with Vlad when Pariah was re-awoken. _**[Redacted:** He also ended up serving Dan in the alternate future scenario, adding more evidence to this theory. _**_/Redacted]_**. At first this seems to conflict with his apparent goal of ruling his own kingdom, but the pattern fits as he moves from master to master, using each in turn as he learns and grows in power, before betraying them to the next most powerful contender, presumably until he is the most powerful ghost remaining.

His relationship to Pariah Dark is long and worth looking into in particular, however. It was revealed that Fright Knight is (or was) effectively his General; the leader of his army and head of his personal retinue (Body Guards). It's assumed that The Soul Shredder was a gift from Pariah, possibly in recognition of his service, but Pariah was shrewd and he must have recognised Fright Knight's ambition and the threat he could pose. As a result, it seems Pariah is to thank for the Fright Knight's one true weakness; pumpkins.

While it sounds ridiculous, there is logic behind it. The Fright Knight identifies himself as 'the Spirit of Hallow Eve', Halloween in more modern vernacular, and one of its long standing symbols is the Pumpkin, as it is one of the few fruits (yes, it is actually a fruit) that ripen around the end of October.

Because of the way Ghost's thoughts and emotions interact with their power and ectoplasm, what they believe often has more power on them then what is true. As such, we believe that he put a 'failsafe' of sorts in place when he gave Fright Knight the Soul Shredder, a way to ensure he could be easily defeated in the event he ever decided to rebel. The entire ritual is just specific and bizarre enough that it would be believable as a condition of using such a powerful weapon and so as long as the Fright Knight believes this to be the case, his weakness will remain.

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><p><strong>[AN: And another one down. <strong>

**Next up, it's the Big Three; you know, the default 'I need a dangerous enemy for Danny to overcome in my fic' characters. And no, I'm not judging those who choose to use them, there is, after all, a reason they work so well in that role. Heck, I'm using one of them in an upcoming story of mine in exactly that kind of role.**

**Also, with the last chapter, this story reached 10 000 views! Considering the next highest doesn't even have half of that, I'm quite impressed and pleased with how much traffic this story gets. This chapter will also take it over 25 000 words, a bit below where I'd like to be but still pretty solid for the style of the fic.**

**Thanks again for reading, and any feedback would be great. /AN]**


	29. Pariah Dark

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And here we are, the first of the 'Big Three'; Pariah Dark****. **

**I apologise for the delay, but as some of you may have seen, I recently posted the first chapter of 'The Edge of Reason', the last currently planned story in this block of them. As such, there may be some delays to this story as a result, but I'll try to avoid it wherever possible. **

**Equally, I will aim to rewrite some of the earlier chapters and bring them up to date, as well as work out a proper universal format for the chapters.**** I will likely put out one more chapter before moving on to the re-write, so there will be a bit of a delay from that as well, but I'll see how it plays out.**

**I hope you enjoy the chapter./AN]**

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><p>Until only a couple of years ago, Pariah Dark was something of a myth in the Ghost Zone and unknown in the Human realm.<p>

Not any more though.

It had been centuries since Pariah's rule and many ghosts hadn't existed at the time. As such, many of the stories passed down about him seemed like gross exaggerations; tales of him defeating armies single-handedly, the never-ending Legions of skeletal warriors he commanded, his unfathomable cruelty and his burning, unquenchable rage.

As it turned out, they were all quite accurate.

Based on recorded power generation, Pariah Dark is without a doubt the most powerful ghost ever encountered; his capacity for power generation is equivalent to that Vortex _and _Fright Knight, _at the same time_.

And that's without the Crown of Fire and Ring of Rage, both of which appear to be built around two exceptionally powerful ghost cores, which feed power directly to their wearer. We think they may be the remnants of two of Pariah's rivals, or possibly whoever he usurped to take the throne (if, indeed, there was a former monarch), but once again, Clockwork has been infuriatingly silent on the matter.

Irrespective of their origins, they are another massive increase to his own abilities and quite possibly push him over the edge of 'incredibly resilient' and into 'impervious'. Individuals such as Vortex have proven to be so resilient that they are nearly indestructible, to such an extent that the Observants lock them away rather than destroying them, but Pariah has far more power than Vortex and he may very well be utterly impervious to serious damage. Certainly he was deemed too powerful to even stay conscious and aware, resulting in the need for him to be permanently subdued in the Sarcophagus.

Strangely enough, Pariah does not seem to possess any particularly remarkable powers or specialisations like most other ghosts, he's something of a generalist, and this makes him all the more difficult to fight. Anecdotal evidence of his remarkable speed and precision in combat suggests that he is capable of generating a time-dilation field of some sort around himself, but this is speculation.

Despite his obvious capabilities, Pariah seems to prefer having his underlings perform tasks when possible. We have already detailed his relationship with Fright Knight in the previous chapter, but it is likely he had a far larger pool of individuals to choose from during his reign.

There are questions around his Skeleton Army and exactly where they come from.

One argument says that they are like Nocturne's Sleepwalkers, and are very simple ghosts, possibly vanquished foes, who are entirely dependent on pariah to sustain and direct them.

The other theory is that they are in fact an extension of Pariah himself, a manifestation of his own power, much like some of the flora around Amity Park during Undergrowth's takeover was entirely ectoplasmic in origin and disappeared when he was defeated. It would help explain the almost impossible numbers of warriors Pariah could summon, but he wasn't renowned for his cruelty for no reason…

So far as we know, Pariah Dark has only been defeated on two occasions, second of which almost doesn't count.

Danny's re-entombment of Pariah was largely up to luck and the substantial power boost of the ecto-suit; but that doesn't diminish the enormity of the task or his achievement, considering he was still quite young and hadn't even developed his most advanced powers yet.

Pariah's first defeat, however, is shrouded in more myth and legend than Pariah himself. It is said that a septet of extraordinarily powerful ghosts known only as 'the Ancients' came together in order to overthrow Pariah's devastating rule, possibly under the guidance of the Observants. By all accounts, the battle was brutal, but decisive; while he was certainly more powerful than any one Ancient, Pariah couldn't stand against seven of them. After the battle, he was locked in the Sarcophagus and the key was hidden away and the Ancients turned the rule of the Ghost Zone over to the Observant Council. The Ancients largely disappeared after that, and they have faded into myth just like Pariah had.

For one reason or another, Danny thinks Clockwork may be one of the Ancients, but, as usual, you will get nothing on the subject from him. It would, however, explain why the Ancients didn't act during Pariah's return; if one or more of them knew that Danny would succeed in defeating Pariah, they wouldn't need to intercede, and we already know Clockwork has an established, if slightly antagonistic, relationship with the Observants and I don't think anyone would doubt his power. It might even explain where he got that scar from…

Regardless, with Pariah sealed away once more, the risk of another return is unlikely, especially in the near future. But it pays to be vigilant on the matter. We regularly check up on the Sarcophagus and the castle it is stored in, just in case anyone is foolish enough to try and release him again.

If he were to be released again, it would be one of only handful of situations that would result in the full mobilisation of Team Phantom, and event that has only occurred once in the past five years. Put simply, if it were to happen, you would know about it.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you are, I hope you enjoyed it.<strong>

**As usual, thank you very much to those of you who review these chapters so regularly, it's a massive encouragement.**

**Until next time. /AN]**


	30. REDACTED

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: I apologise profusely for the lack of updates, but I will not go on in depth here, see my profile for more information. Unfortunately, this is more of an interim update rather than a return to my usual rate of posting, but soon, hopefully.**

**As for this chapter, the first part is meant to look as weird as it does, just keep scrolling. I would have used black highlighter, but that's a formatting type not supported on here, unfortunately./AN]**

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><p><strong>Darkest_Day_[TEST] Protocol Active:<strong>

**Decrypting original file…**

**.**

**.**

**.**

**... File Decrypted**

**Redaction Protocol reversed, the file is now ready for viewing.**

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><p>We hope you never have to read this, but if you are then something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.<p>

Years ago, not long after Danny first got his powers, he, Sam and Tucker were all transported, via Clockwork, to a future timeline in which Danny had effectively destroyed the world and Ghost Zone as we know it.

The details are long and complicated, but what you need to know is that Danny lost everyone close to him in this alternate future and then, stricken with grief and pain, turned to Vlad. Vlad attempted to remove the overwhelming negative emotions by isolating them in Danny's spectral physiology, and then separating it by removing the core. Unfortunately, this worked to well and the 'Phantom' aspect of Danny became fully self-realised due to the emotional energy locked into it.

Driven by the violent and angry emotions, it immediately slaughtered the human portion of Danny, thus integrating the micro-cores into itself, before turning on Vlad and tearing both the primary and numerous micro-cores from him, absorbing them into its own form.

Vlad survived, barely, but he was now powerless. The new entity, on the other hand, was more powerful than anything else yet encountered (except Pariah Dark), with the combined power output of two halfas combined into a single malevolent entity.

We refer to that entity as 'Dan'.

Within ten years, Dan had completely eradicated much of the world's population, Amity Park being one of the few holdouts still remaining courtesy of Valerie's efforts. The Ghost Zone as well had been hit hard, though the exact details about what occurred there are sketchy. It seems as though Dan destroyed the Observant Council and any other ghost he deemed a threat, though Fright Knight was used as a servant.

It should go without saying that Dan is exceedingly lethal and violent. He enjoys the slaughter and pain he inflicts and his goals seem to be no more complex than destroying everything as a twisted way to deal with his remnant emotional pain and sense of loss.

Dan was eventually defeated by Danny, by sheer luck more than anything else, and trapped inside a Thermos. Currently, Clockwork guards the Thermos, but he may not always be able to keep Dan from escaping, if he deems it necessary for the good of the timeline.

We hope this never occurs, but if you are reading this, then it is likely that this is what has happened.

By this point, Danny has matured to a level that he should be able to nearly match Dan, though he will need as much assistance as he can get. It is also imperative that you protect yourselves and, in particular, Sam and Danielle. Dan originally tried to ensure Danny's fall into Dan by replicating the incident that originally caused it, and he would have succeeded if Clockwork hadn't intervened. As such, it seems highly likely that he would attempt the same thing once again, by targeting those close to Danny.

There is, however, a second, far worse possibility.

In the event of some catastrophe, in which Danny lost his friends and family, it is possible that he may undergo a similar shift, with or without Vlad's intervention.

If this has happened, then there is little information we can provide to help. Danny is a abnormally well-rounded fighter, without obvious weaknesses and with the power at his disposal to annihilate much of what stands in his way. Danny has designated Valerie as his 'Cyanide Pill' if such an event was to ever occur, but there's no guarantee that she would even be alive at the time or that she could succeed.

If Danny has turned, then it is likely that the remnant members of Team Phantom will be his first targets, as they would pose the greatest threat to him. As such, rally the rest of the team and run, just run. Dora, Frostbite and Pandora's kingdoms are likely to be the safest places, if you can combine your forces, but beyond that…

Clockwork is really our best hope at combating Dan in which ever form he takes as he has the forewarning and the power to fight against him effectively, but his duty to the timeline may prevent any interference on his part, so he can't be relied upon.

Whatever has happened, stick together and prepare yourselves for the worst, as this is likely to be the hardest fight you will ever experience.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you have it, Dan's chapter. I wanted to play around with the style for this one due his unique status, so I'll be interested to see what you think of it.<strong>

**'The Edge of Reason' will be getting an update soon, I was going to wait until I could update all of them, but I didn't want to leave you all without some update for as long as I have.**

**I will also be endeavouring to reply to your various PM's and reviews, and catch up on reviewing stories that I have fallen behind on.**

**Thanks again. /AN]**


	31. Vlad

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: Hey guys... been a while, huh? Yeah, sorry 'bout that...**

**Part of the reason for the dealy was that I wasn't sure if I should post this one before I finished 'The Edge of Reason', because Vlad's fate is kind of a spoiler, but I decided to post it anyway and just let you know that there are spoilers ahead. **

**So in case you missed it:**

**NOTE: There are Spoilers for the end of 'The Edge of Reason' in this chapter, the spoiler portion will be noted with another AN.**

**That is all. /AN]**

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><p>Vladimir Masters, multi Billionaire, well known philanthropist, genius inventor and the first (known) Halfa.<p>

While he's not the threat he used to be, until recently he was Danny's true nemesis, and the instigator of all of the most destructive and dangerous situations that he's found himself in.

Vlad had a surprisingly storied history with the Fenton's, being close friends (if such a word is applicable to a man like Vlad) with Jack and Maddie, meeting them through their like-minded interest in paranormal studies, until and accident with an early attempt at a Ghost Portal and his unrequited desire for Maddie formed a schism between him and Jack, without Jack's knowledge.

This one-sided animosity continued for decades, until Danny's accident and Vlad's reappearance in the Fenton's lives. When Danny explained his halfa nature to them, he also had to eventually explain Vlad's role in his life up to that point. The animosity was decidedly less one sided after _that_.

Vlad is, in the most basic terms, a classic example of Psychopathy. He (rightly or wrongly) sees himself as superior to those around him, largely in part due to his wealth, genius level intelligence and the physical superiority granted to him from his halfa physiology.

Violence and death are acceptable, even preferred, solutions to a problem and he lacks even the most basic sense of empathy. Other people are only useful if they enhance his life in some way; while those that can't are, at best, disposable or at worst, threats to his way of life. And when someone with no empathy and a love of violence see's you as a threat, you're in a very dangerous position.

He has proven time and again that he is willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve his goals, sometimes in a small scale, like rigging Amity Park's mayoral election or putting a substantial bounty on Danny's head, or on a much more disturbing scale, like releasing Pariah Dark and Vortex or his cloning attempts.

He also enjoys manipulating others to do his bidding, a show of his superiority over them, which also helps explain his choice of pawns. Skulker represents hyper-masculinity, Fright Knight is a symbol of fear and authority, Valerie is a strong, aggressive female who probably reminds him of Maddie, and Danielle is a female version of Danny, who was equally his greatest annoyance and most desired pawn. Vlad's ability to manipulate and control them proves to himself that he is superior to them and all they represent.

**[AN: Here be Spoilers... /AN]**

Danny is usually quite merciful with his enemies, but Vlad proved there was only so far you could push him.

In a desperate bid to usurp Danny's growing influence in the Ghost Zone, he staged a massive invasion of Amity Park, a day I'm sure many will remember well, as a distraction that allowed him to capture Sam, at that time his fiancé, and Danielle. He had intended to use them as leverage, to force Danny to support him in his bid for kingship.

Unfortunately for Vlad, he had severely underestimated Danny's power, his own superiority complex blinded him to the fact that Danny was no longer some confused and easily manipulated teenager, still terrified of his own abilities.

The fight was short and overwhelmingly brutal. In the end, Danny shattered his spinal column, rendering him paralysed from his abdomen down, and tore out his primary core, destroying it completely.

It was a masterful, if intensely disturbing, psychological victory as much as a physical one. Danny had taken two of the things Vlad prided himself on, his physical ability and his independence, and removed them both in one brutal moment. Because this paralysis didn't just affect his legs, it affected everything from his bowels down. It was the ultimate ignominy for someone like Vlad, to need to rely on others to perform something as seemingly basic as using the bathroom, and the loss of his spectral side meant the loss of much of his power and one of the things he used to prove his superiority over others.

Vlad is still potentially dangerous, he retains all of his vast fortune and a lot of political influence he can call on, but he's not the omnipresent threat he used to be and it seems he has finally received the message _not_ to mess with Danny or his family.

Still, we can't discount him as a threat. If he ever decides to try something again, you can bet it will be exceedingly dangerous for all involved.

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><p><strong>[AN: And there you have it, my take on Vlad.<strong>

**This is the last of the enemy sections, which means this story is nearly finished! the fact that this story has gotten over 100 reviews is an unimaginable achievement for me and I thank each and every one of you for reading, favouriting, following and, of course, reviewing.**

**There is one final chapter to go, a Misc. chapter where I will discuss random stuff that didn't really fit anywhere else, like the Observants, the Ghost Sense and the Portal. So if you have anything that you think I've missed, let me know and I'll add it in.**

**Thanks once more for your patience. /AN]**


	32. Miscellaneous Entries

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Danny Phantom' or any of the characters, concepts etc. Those are owned by Butch Hartman/Nickelodeon, I believe. I make no claim to anything in this story, it is a perspective with hypothetical scenarios added in.

**[AN: And here we are, finally, the final chapter. I've crammed a lot of random stuff into this one, little things that didn't really deserve their own chapter, but that I wanted to explain a bit to myself anyway.**

**I was hoping to get this up before the New Year, and while I failed in my own Time Zone, I think I will succeed with most of you reading this.**

**I've also edited and cleaned up a lot of previous entries and added some other little bits here and there. I'll start adding these updated chapter in the next couple of days, replacing 30 chapters takes time after all, but I have updated the first chapter, it now comes with a Table of Contents!**

**Anyway, on with the chapter! /AN]**

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><p><strong>Miscellaneous Entries:<strong>

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><p><strong>The Observant Council:<strong>

The closest thing to a united government within the Ghost Zone, the Observants are an enigmatic group of ghosts that act as the ultimate judge, jury and, when necessary, executioner for ghosts.

As their name implies, they prefer to observe events rather than involve themselves, and they will only take action in the direst of circumstances. They possess a limited form of foresight, similar but rudimentary compared to Clockwork's extensive abilities, but it grants them the ability to see the most likely outcome of events, and they will often make decisions based on what they see, occasionally consulting Clockwork when they are unsure.

The Observant Council technically rules the Ghost Zone, filling the void left by Pariah Dark's defeat, and all ghosts are beholden to their will, though few are happy about it. Still, they have managed to keep some very substantial threats from eventuating or wreaking more havoc, such as Vortex and Pariah, so they should not be dismissed as merely impotent bureaucrats.

Danny has as somewhat confrontational relationship with the Observants; they view him as a potential threat, while he despises their unwillingness to get involved and try to improve things. Clockwork's less-than-cordial relationship with them also doesn't help matters.

Regardless, they are a major force within The Zone and you must be aware of their influence. Tread lightly, because there is little that could be done for you if you anger them in some way.

**Neutral Ghosts:**

There are a number of ghosts that we have had dealings with that are not mentioned here, as they are neither ally nor enemy, and listing them all would be an exercise in futility. If you are ever unsure on how to deal with a ghost, contact one of the other Team Members and they will be more than willing to help you out. As a general rule, do not assume a ghost is hostile unless it actually attacks you or others, and try diplomacy before aggression; many ghosts are relatively harmless, but must still be dealt with cautiously.

**The Ghost Sense:**

The Ghost Sense is the name given to the puff of spontaneous condensation that Danny and Danielle experience when a ghost enters the area. It is a power unique to ghosts with an ice core, and it is only really noticeable in low-ectoplasm environments, though individuals well acquainted with the abilities grated to them by their cold core can still utilise it, even in the Ghost Zone.

As we understand it, the effect occurs because of how little ectoplasm is found in the human realm, effectively limiting Danny and Daniele's ability to harvest ectoplasm for use in their cores. Ghosts, being composed entirely of ectoplasm 'leak' some of it wherever they go, and so when one of them comes close enough, the halfa's cores can absorb this slight increase in available ectoplasm, resulting in a slight increase in power generation for a very brief period of time, before the power levels even out again. Because of their cold cores, this results in an icy feeling in their throats and a puff of condensation.

The distance from which a ghost can be detected is dependent on how much ectoplasm they 'leak'; powerful ghosts have the most ectoplasm under their influence and so often can be sensed from quite a distance, though Vlad proved it was possible to maintain such rigid control over one's ectoplasm that no leakage could be picked up on. The effect is also reduced if they've spent a large amount of time in the Ghost Zone recently, while it increases the further away they are from a Portal.

**Ghost Portals:**

Portals are, as the name implies, doorways that link the Human Realm and the Ghost Zone. The portals themselves are tears in space-time which, instead of opening to a random point in both time and space, open to a parallel point in the alternate dimension that is the Ghost Zone.

The key difference is the presence of high concentrations of ectoplasm; it appears that, given a high enough concentration and the right quantum manipulation, a disturbance that would normally affect space-time in our world is diverted to the Ghost Zone, forming a Portal.

There are two major categories of Portals; natural and artificial.

Natural Portals are enigmatic at best, appearing and disappearing seemingly at random, with little rhyme or reason to their patterns, though there are some places that seem to generate them more than others, Amity Park being the most infamous but by no means the only location.

Artificial Portals are something of a technological miracle, proof that dimensional tunnelling is quite achievable. The most obvious type of Artificial Portal is the large standing structure, of which the Fenton's Portal is the only remaining example (Vlad's having been buried to limit his access). Of course, tunnelling into another dimension on such a large scale does have repercussions, mainly that the Portal cannot simply be shut down, as the amount of ectoplasm leaking through from it has altered the Matter/Dark matter/Ectoplasm balance in the surrounding area, and suddenly cutting of that supply may cause a severe destabilisation, and no one particularly wants to find out what the side-effects might be.

The other, less obvious type of Artificial Portal is the temporary portal, such as the one generated by the Fenton Bazooka, but also by ghosts such as Wulf. These more closely resemble Natural Portals in behaviour, but they can be opened at will anywhere in the world, though the energy cost is not insubstantial.

**Spectral Reproduction:**

Ghosts can reproduce.

This is a fact that has been shown time and again throughout the Ghost Zone, but the actual mechanics of it has been a subject no one was exactly willing to ask about until recently.

As it turns out, it is a rather straightforward process that more closely resembles microbial reproduction than anything else.

A ghost's existence is inextricably linked to their core. It is the source of their power and it houses their neural imprint, everything that makes them, them. As such, to produce a 'child' two ghosts splinter off a portion of their core and fuse it together into a new core, with a combination of their neural imprints and characteristics. The resulting child is truly a product of their parents in almost every way, even their starting appearance is based on an amalgamation of the two parents' residual self images, until their own sense of self develops sufficiently.

The process is quite taxing for the ghosts involved and also renders them quite vulnerable, so this reproduction usually only occurs between relatively strong ghosts in long-term relationships where both individuals trust the other not to take advantage of them in their weakened state.

**Blood Blossoms:**

Blood Blossoms, or _Ectorosa sanguinea_, are the only known example of an organism featuring both standard and spectral physiology at the same time, other than Halfas. The plant itself appears to be a strain of Rose that has diverged drastically from other flora, presumably after coming into contact with a Ghost Portal. The plant is only ever found in proximity to Ghost Portals, on both the Human and Ghost sides and the more regular the portal appears, the more prevalent the Blood Blossoms are, though they are still very rare in the Human realm and even more so in the Ghost Zone, as they are culled whenever they are found, due to the violent reaction they cause in ghosts.

Ghosts that have the misfortune to come into close proximity with a Blood Blossom flower experience extreme pain and a near-total loss of control of their ectoplasmic forms potentially resulting in their destruction if they are stuck in the field long enough as the disruption eventually destabilises their cores. It appears that, just as normal plants have developed a range of biological toxins to defend against animals, Blood Blossoms have developed a way to deter ghostly threats, by manipulating bioelectric impulses and its cellular ectoplasm to produce an electromagnetic field that interferes with the similar field used by ghosts to hold and manipulate their forms. Blood Blossoms have also weaponised this passive effect, possessing glands that will, should the plant be damaged, exude a fine, dust-like substance (seemingly derived from their pollen) whose entire purpose appears to be to spread this disruptive field in a protective haze around the plant if something threatens it.

It should be noted that Blood Blossoms have rather little effect on a halfa in their human form, but they will restrict their use of abilities, resulting in extreme pain if they were to try. If they are in their spectral forms, however, then the effects are just as devastating as for a normal ghost.

If you locate any, do not approach, lest you accidentally bring some of its spores back with you, and mark the location so we can alert our allies and let them know to stay away from the area.

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><p><strong>[AN: There you go, the last chapter, thank you so much for reading this collection of rambling thought and jargon and I can only hope you found it of some interest.<strong>

**I'm going to take most of January off form updating my stories, so I can edit, plan and hopefully get some sort of routine going so I don't keep shifting between periods of high activity and periods of absolutely nothing. As I said earlier, I will be updating this story with improved chapters in the near future, hopefully over the course of this week. It will cut down on my extensive Author's notes (like this one) and clean up a number of errors, as well as add some new and expanded information.**

**Also, like all my stories, if you for one reason or another found an idea of interest in here that you'd like to use in your story, then go for, but let me know 'cause I'd very much like to see how you use it.**

**Thanks once more for taking the time to read this story and provide me with such epic feedback since I started it, it's been awesome to know that people actually like some of the ideas and explanations I've been coming up with.**

**Hope to see you back in the coming year. [/AN]**


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